NOVELTY - Converting hydrolyzed lignocellulosic biomass material to a biofuel involves contacting the hydrolyzed lignocellulosic biomass material with a microbial culture for a period of time at an initial temperature and an initial pH, thus producing an amount of a biofuel, where the microbial culture comprises an extremely thermophilic strain of the genus Thermoanaerobacter.    USE - For converting hydrolyzed lignocellulosic biomass material to a biofuel (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The use of microorganisms that are able to convert pretreated lignocellulosic biomass such as, for example, poplar wood chips or miscanthus grass, to an economically desirable product such as a biofuel, particularly ethanol. The used microorganisms are able to convert highly complex polysaccharides like xylan to high yields of carbon-based chemicals like ethanol. The microorganisms are anaerobic thermophile bacteria, and they are capable of growing at high temperatures even at or above 70 degrees C. The fact that the strains are capable of operating at this high temperature is of high importance in the conversion of the lignocellulosic hydrolysates into fermentation products. The conversion rate of carbohydrates into e.g. ethanol is much faster when conducted at high temperatures. For example, the volumetric ethanol productivity of a thermophilic Bacillus is up to ten-fold higher than a conventional yeast fermentation process which operates at 30 degrees C. Consequently, a smaller production plant is required for a given plant capacity, thus reducing plant construction costs. The high temperature reduces the risk of contamination from other microorganisms, resulting in less downtime, increased plant productivity and a lower energy requirement for feedstock sterilization. The high operation temperature facilitates the subsequent recovery of the resulting fermentation products.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for making ethanol from poly-, oligo-, di-, and/or monosaccharides derived from lignocellulosic biomass involving combining microbial culture and the sugars in a medium; and fermenting the biomass under conditions and for a time sufficient to produce ethanol, where the microbial culture comprises a comprises an extremely thermophilic strain of the genus Thermoanaerobacter.