Harnessing Microbes for Forest Commodities: Topics and Trends on Microbial Applications in Wood and Non-Wood Industries

Abstract Understanding the trajectory of microbial biotechnology research is essential for identifying novel processes, techniques, and applications to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of bioeconomic activities. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of global research on microbial applications in forestry-related industries to elucidate key research themes and trends within this domain. Through topic modeling of publications on microbial applications in wood and wood-based products, we identified 14 distinct topics from a dataset of 805 abstracts containing 152,265 terms. A continuing surge of research was found, particularly on microbial enzymes employed primarily in pulp and paper production. There was also a rising publication trend related to microbe applications in bioenergy and agarwood, reflecting an increasing interest in diversifying forest-based bioeconomy. Most scientific publications originated from major producers and traders of forest-based products. To advance bioeconomic objectives, it is critical to foster increased collaborative research on microbe-based technologies within the forestry industry.