Bioengineers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology in Daenjeon have pioneered a method for producing heat-resistant bioplastic using microbes. The work was published in the scientific journal magazine Trends in Biotechnology (TIBT).
Many of the plastics used in packaging and industrial applications contain ring-shaped “aromatic” structures, including PET and polystyrene.
Previous research has led to the creation of microbes that can produce polymers composed of alternating aromatic and aliphatic (non-ring) monomers.
In the new study, the team produced polymers composed entirely of monomers with aromatic side chains.
To do this, the scientists designed a new metabolic pathway that allows the bacteria to produce an aromatic monomer called phenyllactate by recombining enzymes from other microorganisms.
They then used computer modeling to design a polymerase enzyme that could efficiently assemble these phenyllactate building blocks into a polymer.
After optimizing the bacteria’s metabolic pathway and polymerase enzyme, the researchers grew the microbes in 6.6-liter (1.7-gallon) fermentation tanks. The final strain was capable of producing 12.3 g/L of polymer (poly(D-phenylactate)). To commercialize the product, the researchers want to increase the yield to at least 100 g/L.
In the future, scientists plan to develop additional types of aromatic monomers and polymers with different chemical and physical properties, such as polymers with higher molecular weights needed for industrial applications.
Earlier scientists returned Waste from the production of kimchi, a traditional Korean dish made from spicy cabbage, is being turned into bioplastic.
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Source: Gazeta
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