Microbial cellulose as a specialty chemical.

Microbial polysaccharides are extensively used commercially as gelling or suspending agents, as protective colloids or as thickening agents. Until recently, microbial cellulose producing systems such as Acetobacter xylinum, had been used largely as model systems for the study of cellulose biosynthesis. Current advances in molecular biology and biochemical engineering promise to usher microbial cellulose into the specialty chemical market. This review will highlight some of the recent progress made in our understanding of microbial cellulose biochemistry and biosynthesis, describe some of its inherent virtues and identify current unique applications of this versatile biopolymer.