Method of 2,3-butanediol production from glycerol and acid-pretreated rice straw hydrolysate by newly isolated strains: Pre-evaluation as an integrated biorefinery process

► Three newly 2,3-butanediol producers were isolated. ► Klebsiella sp. gave high production yield using arabinose. ► Serratia sp. was first reported for glycerol-to-2,3-butanediol conversion. ► Both cellulosic and hemicellulosic rice straw hydrolysate can be successfully fermented to 2,3-butanediol. ► Potentially improving the economy of lignocellulose biorefinery.