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Polyhydroxyalkanoate production from rice straw hydrolysate obtained by alkaline pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis using Bacillus strains isolated from decomposing straw
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Researchers used rice straw — an agricultural waste product — both as the source for isolating bacteria and as the carbon-rich feedstock to grow them on, successfully producing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable plastic alternative. The best-performing Bacillus bacterial strains converted pretreated rice straw into up to 59% of their body weight as PHA, demonstrating a low-cost pathway for producing compostable bioplastics from farm waste.
Rice straw is an important low-cost feedstock for bio-based economy. This report presents a study in which rice straw was used both as a source for isolation of bacteria producing the biodegradable polyester polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), as well as the carbon source for the production of the polymer by the isolated bacteria. Of the 100 bacterial isolates, seven were found to be positive for PHA production by Nile blue staining and were identified as Bacillus species by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Three isolates showed 100% sequence identity to B. cereus, one to B. paranthracis, two with 99 and 100% identity to B. anthracis, while one was closely similar to B. thuringiensis. For use in PHA production, rice straw was subjected to mild alkaline pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Comparison of pretreatment by 2% sodium hydroxide, 2% calcium hydroxide and 20% aqueous ammonia, respectively, at different temperatures showed maximum weight loss with NaOH at 80 °C for 5 h, but ammonia for 15 h at 80 °C led to highest lignin removal of 63%. The ammonia-pretreated rice straw also led to highest release of total reducing sugar up to 92% on hydrolysis by a cocktail of cellulases and hemicellulases at 50 °C. Cultivation of the Bacillus isolates on the pretreated rice straw revealed highest PHA content of 59.3 and 46.4%, and PHA concentration of 2.96 and 2.51 g/L by Bacillus cereus VK92 and VK98, respectively.
More Papers Like This
Bacterial Isolates from Decomposing Rice Straw used for Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production from Straw Hydrolysate Obtained by Alkaline Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis
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Researchers isolated bacteria from decomposing rice straw that can produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable bioplastic. Of 100 isolates tested, seven demonstrated PHA-producing ability using the rice straw itself as a carbon source, offering a low-cost route to producing biodegradable plastic alternatives.
Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer from crop residue using bacteria as an alternative to plastics: a review
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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.
Exploring Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain OM81 for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic using olive mill wastewater
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Researchers screened bacterial strains isolated from olive mill wastewater for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic production, finding that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain OM81 accumulated PHA at up to 30% of dry biomass and could use olive mill wastewater as its sole carbon source — simultaneously treating an industrial pollutant and reducing bioplastic production costs.
Study of Bacterial Biopolymer Production by Bacillus Species
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This study investigated the ability of Bacillus bacteria to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers, which are biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Microbial biopolymer production could help reduce reliance on conventional plastics that persist and accumulate in the environment.
The synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates from low carbon wastewater under anaerobic-microaerobic process: effects of pH and nitrogen and phosphorus limitation
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Researchers optimized conditions for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) — biodegradable bioplastics — from wastewater using bacteria under anaerobic-microaerobic conditions. Controlling pH and nutrient levels significantly improved PHA production yield. This work advances the development of sustainable plastic alternatives made from waste materials.
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