Table 1.

Representative microorganisms for which genome sequences have been completed or are in progress that are important in the context of biofuels research.

Microorganism	Significance for biofuels
Anaebaena variabilis	Cyanobacterium producing hydrogen
Cladicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus	Degrades various polysaccharides; produces hydrogen
Clostridium acetobutylicum	Major organism producing n‐butanol
Clostridium phytofermentans	Ferments pectin, cellulose, xylan producing ethanol and hydrogen gas
Clostridium thermocellum	Thermophilic ethanol producer
Methanosaeta thermophila	Common methanogen; converts acetate to methane
Micrococcus luteus	Produces long‐chain alkenes
Pichia stipitis	Ethanol producing yeast fermenting xylose
Rhodospeudomonas palustris	Phototroph producing hydrogen gas
Saccharomyces cerevisiae	Major production organism for ethanol currently
Saccharophagus degradans	Degrades many biopolymers
Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus	Thermophilic ethanol producer
Vibrio furnissii M1	Reported to produce high levels of n‐alkanes
Zymomonas mobilis	Ethanol fermentation with high ethanol tolerance