In recent years, there has been an increasing trend towards more
efficient utilization of agro-industrial by-products for conversion to
a range of value-added bio-products, including biofuels, biochemicals
and biomaterials (1, 2). Bioprocessing of agro-industrial residues
can help solve environmental problems associated with their
disposal and reduce dependence on petroleum resources. The
exploration of novel, efficient bioprocesses for underused biomasses
is thus at the forefront of biotechnological research and industrial
application.