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Closing the Gap between Bio-Based and Petroleum-Based Plastic through Bioengineering
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This review covered advances in bioengineering strategies for producing bioplastics from renewable feedstocks as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Recent progress in strain development, genome editing, and metabolic engineering has accelerated bioplastic production but economic and scalability barriers remain.
Bioplastics, which are plastic materials produced from renewable bio-based feedstocks, have been investigated for their potential as an attractive alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Despite the harmful effects of plastic accumulation in the environment, bioplastic production is still underdeveloped. Recent advances in strain development, genome sequencing, and editing technologies have accelerated research efforts toward bioplastic production and helped to advance its goal of replacing conventional plastics. In this review, we highlight bioengineering approaches, new advancements, and related challenges in the bioproduction and biodegradation of plastics. We cover different types of polymers, including polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs and PHBs) produced by bacterial, microalgal, and plant species naturally as well as through genetic engineering. Moreover, we provide detailed information on pathways that produce PHAs and PHBs in bacteria. Lastly, we present the prospect of using large-scale genome engineering to enhance strains and develop microalgae as a sustainable production platform.
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Review on Potential Sources and Applications of Bioplastics
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This review examines bioplastic production from various biological sources as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. The authors discuss feedstocks, synthesis pathways, and biodegradation properties of different bioplastic types, evaluating their potential to replace conventional plastics.
Advanced Strategies for Genetically Engineering Trees to Produce Bioplastics A Materials and Engineering Perspective
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Scientists are exploring how to genetically modify fast-growing trees like poplar to grow biodegradable plastic directly in their leaves, offering a potential alternative to petroleum-based plastics. This matters because conventional plastics break down into microplastics that are increasingly found in our food, water, and even our bodies, with unclear but concerning health effects—so tree-grown, biodegradable plastics could help reduce that exposure over time. This paper is a review that summarizes existing research and lays out the technical and economic hurdles still standing between this idea and real-world use.
Bioplastic Degradation, Production and Genetic Improvements of Bioplastic Producing Strains: A review
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This review summarizes research on bioplastic degradation by bacteria that can break down these materials, and examines genetic improvements that could enhance their biodegradability. As bioplastics grow in use, understanding their true environmental fate is critical to ensuring they deliver real sustainability benefits.
Protein Engineering of Enzymes Involved in Bioplastic Metabolism
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This review discusses protein engineering of enzymes that metabolize bioplastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates) as part of developing sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Improving enzymatic breakdown of bioplastics is critical for reducing the long-term environmental accumulation of plastic particles including microplastics.
Toward Microbial Recycling and Upcycling of Plastics: Prospects and Challenges
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This review examines the prospects and challenges of using microorganisms to recycle and upcycle plastic waste, assessing the current state of microbial degradation research across major polymer types. The authors identify metabolic engineering and synthetic biology as key tools needed to make biological plastic recycling economically viable at scale.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.