We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
What Is New in the Field of Industrial Wastes Conversion into Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Bacteria?
AI summary Read the abstract
This review covers recent advances in using bacteria to convert industrial food waste into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a type of biodegradable bioplastic. Using industrial waste as feedstock for bioplastic production could reduce both plastic pollution and food industry waste simultaneously.
The rising global consumption and industrialization has resulted in increased food processing demand. Food industry generates a tremendous amount of waste which causes serious environmental issues. These problems have forced us to create strategies that will help to reduce the volume of waste and the contamination to the environment. Waste from food industries has great potential as substrates for value-added bioproducts. Among them, polyhydroxyalkanaotes (PHAs) have received considerable attention in recent years due to their comparable characteristics to common plastics. These biodegradable polyesters are produced by microorganisms during fermentation processes utilizing various carbon sources. Scale-up of PHA production is limited due to the cost of the carbon source metabolized by the microorganisms. Therefore, there is a growing need for the development of novel microbial processes using inexpensive carbon sources. Such substrates could be waste generated by the food industry and food service. The use of industrial waste streams for PHAs biosynthesis could transform PHA production into cheaper and more environmentally friendly bioprocess. This review collates in detail recent developments in the biosynthesis of various types of PHAs produced using waste derived from agrofood industries. Challenges associated with this production bioprocess were described, and new ways to overcome them were proposed.
More Papers Like This
Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer from crop residue using bacteria as an alternative to plastics: a review
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
Bacterial Production of Hydroxyalkanoates (PHA)
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
Switching from petro-plastics to microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA): the biotechnological escape route of choice out of the plastic predicament?
AI summary Read the abstract
This review makes the case for replacing petroleum-based plastics with microbially produced biodegradable alternatives (PHAs), particularly for packaging and medical applications. If produced efficiently enough, PHAs could reduce persistent plastic waste and the resulting microplastic pollution.
Exploiting sugar-rich feedstocks for sustainable polyhydroxyalkanoate production
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
Closing the loop on plastics: Biological and hybrid routes for converting plastic waste to polyhydroxyalkanoates.
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists are exploring how to turn plastic waste into biodegradable plastic using bacteria, essentially recycling trash into a safer material that breaks down naturally instead of piling up in landfills or oceans. This review pulls together existing research on the process, highlighting that while promising, the technology still faces hurdles like breaking down plastic efficiently and scaling it up affordably. If perfected, this approach could reduce the amount of plastic waste that degrades into microplastics, which have been found in human blood, organs, and even breast milk, raising ongoing health concerns.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.