Finding a technol. approach that eases the prodn. of lignocellulosic bioethanol has long been considered as a great industrial challenge. In the current study a membrane bioreactor (MBR) set-up using integrated permeate channel (IPC) membrane panels was used to simultaneously ferment pentose and hexose sugars to ethanol in continuous fermn. of high suspended solid wheat straw hydrolyzate. The MBR was optimized to flawlessly operated at high SS concns. of up to 20% without any significant changes in the permeate flux and transmembrane pressure. By the help of the retained high cell concn., the yeast cells were capable of tolerating and detoxifying the inhibitory medium and succeeded to co-consume all glucose and up to 83% of xylose in a continuous fermn. mode leading to up to 83% of the theor. ethanol yield. [on SciFinder(R)]