Glycoside hydrolases are predicted to gain increasing roles as catalysts in biorefining
applications in the future bioeconomy. These enzymes have a variety of uses including degradation of plant materials  (e.g.,  cellulases for degrading cellulose to glucose, which can be used for ethanol production), in the food industry (invertase for manufacture of invert sugar, amylase for production of maltodextrins), and in the paper and pulp industry (xylanases for removing hemicelluloses from paper pulp). Cellulases are added to detergents for the washing of cotton fabrics and assist in the maintenance of colours through removing microfibres that are raised from the surface of threads during wear.
In organic chemistry, glycoside hydrolases can be used as synthetic catalysts to form glycosidic bonds through either reverse hydrolysis (kinetic approach) where the equilibrium position is reversed; or by transglycosylation (kinetic approach) whereby retaining glycoside hydrolases can catalyze the transfer of a glycosyl moiety from an activated glycoside to an acceptor alcohol to afford a new glycoside.
Mutant glycoside hydrolases termed glycosynthases have been developed that can achieve the synthesis of glycosides in high yield from activated glycosyl donors such as glycosyl fluorides. Glycosynthases are typically formed from retaining glycoside hydrolases by site-directed mutagenesis of the enzymic nucleophile to some other less nucleophilic group, such as alanine or glycine. Another group of mutant glycoside hydrolases termed thioglycoligases can be formed by site-directed mutagenesis of the acid-base residue of a retaining glycoside hydrolase. Thioglycoligases catalyze the condensation of activated glycosides and various thiol-containing acceptors.
Various glycoside hydrolases have shown efficacy in degrading matrix polysaccharides within the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of microbial biofilms. Medically, biofilms afford infectious microorganisms a variety of advantages over their planktonic, fre-floating counterparts, including greatly increased tolerances to antimicrobial agents and the host immune system. Thus, degrading the biofilm may increase antibiotic efficacy, and potentiate host immune function and healing ability. For example, a combination of alpha-amylase and cellulase was shown to degrade polymicrobial bacterial biofilms from both in vitro and in vivo sources, and increase antibiotic effectiveness against them.