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Effects of nutrients and photoperiod on production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by thermophilic cyanobacteria
Summary
Researchers optimized nutrient conditions and light/dark photoperiod cycles for thermophilic cyanobacteria to maximize production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), advancing the use of photosynthetic microorganisms as low-input, sustainable factories for biodegradable plastic production.
Bioplastic production using microorganisms offers a sustainable alternative to synthetic plastics. Among these microorganisms, cyanobacteria have shown significant potential for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) due to their minimal requirement for growth. Light/dark cycles are important for cell division, metabolic reactions and reserve accumulation in cyanobacteria. Under environmental stress and nitrogen-limited conditions with excess carbon, cyanobacteria store carbon in the form of PHA in granules. This study explores the effects of nitrogen-limited condition with excess carbon under different photoperiods on biomass production and PHA accumulation in three thermophilic cyanobacteria strains isolated from Malaysia hot springs. The results showed various effects of the C:N ratio and photoperiods on biomass production and PHA accumulation, depending on the strain. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of PHA in the strains, which exhibited characteristic components similar to those of commercial poly(3hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). However, further research is needed to significantly enhance PHA accumulation under optimized conditions and to characterize the molecular structure of PHA.