Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates, a bacterial biodegradable polymer

TLDR

Biodegradable polymers, especially bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), are promising plastic substitutes but high production costs limit their practical use. The study investigates whether PHAs can be produced commercially at costs comparable to conventional plastics. Keywords: polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable polymer, bioplastic, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), biosynthesis.

Abstract

There has been considerable interest in the development and production of biodegradable polymer to solve the current problem of pollution caused by the continuous use of synthetic polymer of petroleum origin. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are known to be accumulated as intracellular inclusion in some bacteria. The materials properties exhibited by PHAs, ranging from stiff, brittle to rubber-like makes it a close substitute for the synthetic plastic. The high cost of PHAs production has restricted its applications. The possibility of producing this polymer commercially and at comparable cost has been the main focus in this area. Key words: Polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable polymer, bioplastic, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), biosynthesis.