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The analysis of microscopic fungi collection created at theDurmishidze Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology revealed 107 strains assimilating 2,4,6-TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) belonging to the different fungal genera. The strains have been isolated from the polluted areas adjacent to the military grounds and industrial waste waters. It has been shown TNT is degraded most actively by strains belonging to the following genera: Trichoderma, Aspergillus, Mucor and Trichoderma. Optimal cultivation conditions for highly active strains -the destructors of TNT have been revealed.It has been established that the carbon skeleton of TNT being utilized by the mentioned strains undergoes biotransformation. The existence of radioactive intermediates of biotransformation, organic acids (70-90%) and amino acids (10-30%) have been detected in liquid culture. Radioactive label of 1-14 C-TNT is mostly found in fumaric acid, which is known as one of the main products of benzene biotransformation and further conversion into succinic acid.Remediation level of TNT-contaminated red and black soils treated by the most active strains Aspergillus nigerN2-2 and Mucor sp. T1-1 have been studied under laboratory and field conditions. Cultivation of the above mentioned strains under laboratory conditions in sterile, black and red soils for 30 days at 30°C allowed decreasing the content of TNT in black soil to the residual, and in red soil -to 15%; cultivation of Aspergillus niger N2-2 decreased the amount of TNT in black soil to 11 and in red soilto 21%. Under field conditions, TNT degradation level in contaminated soils by naturally existing micro flora during 100 days was equal to 40-50%, and in the case of additional introduction of both fungal strains, TNT-destructors reached 80%.

Lignocellulosic waste streams from agriculture, paper and wood industry are renewable, plentiful and low-cost raw materials that can be used for large-scale production of liquid and gaseous biofuels. As opposed to prevailing multi-stage biotechnological processes developed for bioconversion of cellulosic substrates to ethanol where high cost cellulase preparations are used, consolidated Bioprocessing (CBP) offers to accomplish cellulose and xylan hydrolysis followed by fermentation of both C6 and C5 sugars to ethanol in a single-stage process. Syntrophic microbial consortium comprising of anaerobic, thermophilic, cellulolytic, and saccharolytic bacteria in the genus Clostridia with improved ethanol productivity and high tolerance to fermentation end-products had been proposed for achieving CBP. 65 new strains of anaerobic thermophilic cellulolytic and saccharolytic Clostridia were isolated from different wetlands and hot springs in Georgia.Using new isolates, fermentation of mechanically pretreated wheat straw and corn stalks was done under oxygen free nitrogen environment in thermophilic conditions (T=55 0 C) and pH 7.1. Process duration was 120 hours. Liquid and gaseous products of fermentation were analyzed on the daily basis using Perkin Elmer gas chromatographs with flame ionization and thermal detectors. Residual cellulose, xylan, xylose and glucose were determined using standard methods. Cellulolytic and saccharolytic bacteria strains degraded mechanically pretreated herbaceous cellulosic wastes and fermented glucose and xylose to ethanol, acetic acid and gaseous products like hydrogen and CO 2 . Specifically maximum yield of ethanol was reached at 96 h of fermentation and varied between 2.9 -3.2 g/ 10 g of substrate. Content of acetic acid didn't exceed 0.35 g/l. Other volatile fatty acids were detected in trace quantities.