Manipulating Microbial Cell Morphology for the Sustainable Production of Biopolymers

The total rate of plastic production is anticipated to surpass 1.1 billion tons per year by 2050. Plastic waste is non-biodegradable and accumulates in natural ecosystems. In 2020, the total amount of plastic waste was estimated to be 367 million metric tons, leading to unmanageable waste disposal a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polymers 2024-02, Vol.16 (3), p.410
Main Authors: Kalia, Vipin C, Patel, Sanjay K S, Karthikeyan, Kugalur K, Jeya, Marimuthu, Kim, In-Won, Lee, Jung-Kul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Biodegradation
Bioengineering
Bioplastics
Biopolymers
Biosynthesis
Cell death
Cell division
Cellulose acetate
Chemical processes
Composite materials
Critical components
Drug delivery systems
Enzymes
Genetic engineering
Mechanical properties
Medical equipment
Methods
Microorganisms
Morphology
Natural gas
Packaging
Plastics
Polycaprolactone
Polyhydroxyalkanoates
Polylactic acid
Polymerization
Polymers
Radiation
Renewable resources
Spiders
Sustainable development
Synchronism
Waste disposal
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Summary:The total rate of plastic production is anticipated to surpass 1.1 billion tons per year by 2050. Plastic waste is non-biodegradable and accumulates in natural ecosystems. In 2020, the total amount of plastic waste was estimated to be 367 million metric tons, leading to unmanageable waste disposal and environmental pollution issues. Plastics are produced from petroleum and natural gases. Given the limited fossil fuel reserves and the need to circumvent pollution problems, the focus has shifted to biodegradable biopolymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), polylactic acid, and polycaprolactone. PHAs are gaining importance because diverse bacteria can produce them as intracellular inclusion bodies using biowastes as feed. A critical component in PHA production is the downstream processing procedures of recovery and purification. In this review, different bioengineering approaches targeted at modifying the cell morphology and synchronizing cell lysis with the biosynthetic cycle are presented for product separation and extraction. Complementing genetic engineering strategies with conventional downstream processes, these approaches are expected to produce PHA sustainably.
ISSN:2073-4360
2073-4360
DOI:10.3390/polym16030410