Given the increasing demand for reducing environmental pollution by using clean energy, there is an urgent need to investigate new and more efficient alternatives for renewable resources use and clean energy production. Although biofuels such as, biodiesel represents a secure, renewable and environmentally safe alternative to fossil fuels. Its production is increasing considerably, and as a consequence, the amount of crude glycerol (main by-product) generated is growing exponentially. In order to solve future environmental problems of glycerol accumulation and to turn the biodiesel production economically viable, implementation of biotechnological strategies that use glycerol as the only carbon source to co-produce higher value products along with biofuels has been proposed as a solution to this problem. In this work it will be presented a well documented argument on the metabolic mechanism of different microorganism for glycerol assimilation. As well as description of different biotechnological processes using glycerol as substrate for bioconversion into different industrial bioproducts in Brazil.
