The high fermentation cost of lactic acid is a barrier for polylactic acid (PIA) to compete with the petrochemical derived plastics. In order to lower the cost of lactic acid, the industry needs a microorganism that can ferment various sugars at high temperature (50 degrees C) and at the same time using low cost mineral salts (MS) medium. One such bacterium, BL1, was isolated at 50 degrees C and identified as Bacillus licheniformis. BL1 can ferment glucose to optically pure L-lactate with a maximum specific productivity of 7.8 g/h I in LB medium and 0.7 g/h I in MS medium at 50 degrees C. BL1 can also consume 10% and 15% glucose in 20 and 48 h, respectively. After serial transfer of BL1 and BL2 in different concentrations of xylose and MS medium respectively, the final mutant BL3 could efficiently ferment glucose and xylose with specific productivity of 1.9 g/h I and 1.2 g/h I in strict MS medium. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.