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Insight into polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from xylose and extracellular PHA degradation by a thermophilic Schlegelella thermodepolymerans
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Researchers found that a heat-loving bacterium called Schlegelella thermodepolymerans can convert xylose — a sugar from plant biomass — into up to 80% of its body weight as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable plastic alternative, and can also break down PHA it encounters in the environment.
Accumulation of non-degradable plastic waste in the environment might be prevented by the use of biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). In this study, the thermophile Schlegelella thermodepolymerans produced up to 80 wt% PHA based on dry cell mass. The largest PHA granules were found in the cells within 48 h using 20 g/L xylose, a C/N ratio of 100, an initial pH of 7, at 50 °C. The substrate consumption, pH changes, and cell growth were monitored, revealing the time dependency of PHA production in S. thermodepolymerans. The metabolic pathways from xylose to PHA were identified based on proteomic analysis, revealing involvement of classic phaCAB, de novo fatty acid biosynthesis, and fatty acid β-oxidation. In addition, it was shown that S. thermodepolymerans degraded extracellular PHA with a high efficiency at 50 °C.
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This review examines how PHA, a biodegradable plastic made from crop waste using bacteria, could serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. While PHA breaks down naturally unlike traditional plastics that fragment into microplastics, challenges remain in making it heat-stable and cost-competitive enough for widespread industrial use.
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Researchers investigated the use of sugar-rich agricultural feedstocks for sustainable production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), evaluating these bacterial biopolymers as biodegradable alternatives to petrochemical plastics that contribute to microplastic pollution.
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This review examines bacterial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) as a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastics, covering fermentation processes, scaling to industrial levels, and future trends, while noting that higher production costs currently prevent PHAs from competing commercially with conventional plastics.
The Halophilic Bacterium Paracoccus haeundaensis for the Production of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyvalerate) from Single Carbon Sources
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This study demonstrated for the first time that Paracoccus haeundaensis can produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) under nitrogen-limited conditions with glucose as carbon source, identifying it as a potential new bacterial host for biodegradable plastic production.
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This review covers polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of microbially produced biopolyesters, discussing raw material innovation, microbial producer strains, bioengineering approaches for improved yields, and end-of-life biodegradation options. PHAs are presented as a genuinely circular plastic alternative due to their renewable production, biodegradability, and compatibility with existing plastic applications including food packaging.
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