Biodesulfurization; Advances and Challenges

New strict regulations to reduce sulfur in fossil fuels require economic and efficient desulfurization methods. Biodesulfurization (BDS) can be an appropriate alternative for applying in industrial desulfurization to achieve the lowest sulfur content in feul owing to its high reflexibility because of utilization of enzyme microbial systems, mild operating conditions, higher safty, and lower environmental pollution. The aim of this research is to investigate on key issues, advances and challenges in biodesulfurization process. In spite of lots of researches performed in recents years, even the highest activity obtained is still insufficient to fulfill the industrial requirements. To improve the biodesulfurization efficiency, more researches should be performed in the fields such as increasing desulfurization activity, finding newer conversion pathways, sulfur removal at higher temperatures, applying genetic engineering techniques, isolating new strains for desulfurizing a broader range of sulfur compounds, optimization of bioreactors design, and examination of combined technologies with this process.