Isolation of Cellulose-Degrading Bacteria and to Use Their Cellulolytic Potential for Production of Bioethanol from Paper Waste

In the present scenario, solid waste management has emerged as a huge problem for the environment and mankind. Most of the wastes are generated from the plant source that is made up of cellulose. Cellulose can serve as the source of glucose by various methods of degradation that can be chemical or enzymatic. The cellulase enzyme of the bacterial system can also be used for cellulose degradation. In the present study, cellulose-degrading bacteria have been isolated from soil obtained from wood habitat. To indicate the cellulase activity of the organisms, the diameter of clear zone around the colony and hydrolytic value on cellulose Congo Red agar media were measured. The strain with maximum cellulolytic potential was selected on the basis of DNS assay. The selected strain was further characterized at the molecular level using 16S RNA sequencing. The characterized strain was later used for the production of glucose by degrading the tissue paper. The glucose such produced was used for the production of bioethanol using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The production of ethanol was positively tested after 6 days by iodoform test and amount of alcohol produced was obtained by distillation of the fermented mash.