Abstract:  As an important natural organic material， lignin is often implemented as barrier ingredient due to its complicated structure for degradation. Biodegradation is an effective method to utilize lignin with advantages of low pollution and low energy consumption. In the present paper， the molecule structure of lignin， degradation bacterium types， principles and applications of lignin biodegradation were summarized， to provide references for further researches and possible applications of lignin biodegradation.

Key words: lignin, biodegradation, research advances