This presentation will describe a new application of biotechnology to the production of one of the most widely used biopolymers, cellulose. The new application exploits microbially derived cellulose on an industrial scale. The gram negative bacterium, Acetobacter xylinum is the microorganism of choice since it synthesizes copious amounts of cellulose of unsurpassed purity, mechanical strength and absorbability. The kinetics and potential efficiency of microbial cellulose production as well as goals, obstacles, and future strategies will be presented. Optimal fermentation pathways in relation to the final cellulose product characteristic will be described. The importance of molecular biology and genetic engineering for intermediate and long term strategies of the cellulose industry will be discussed.

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