Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microbial PolyHydroxyAlkanoate (PHA) Biopolymers – Intrinsically Natural

This review covered microbially produced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers as naturally biodegradable alternatives to fossil-based plastics, arguing that PHAs offer a circular solution that avoids microplastic formation and elevated CO2 release associated with conventional plastic end-of-life scenarios.

2023 Preprints.org 17 citations
Article Tier 2

PHA, the Greenest Plastic So Far: Advancing Microbial Synthesis, Recovery, and Sustainable Applications for Circularity

This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of biodegradable plastics made by bacteria that could replace conventional petroleum-based plastics. Switching to PHAs could significantly reduce microplastic pollution because unlike traditional plastics, these materials fully break down in the environment rather than fragmenting into persistent microplastic particles.

2025 ACS Omega 15 citations
Article Tier 2

A New Wave of Industrialization of PHA Biopolyesters

This review covers the growing commercial development of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of biodegradable bioplastics made by microorganisms that can replace conventional fossil-fuel plastics. Unlike traditional plastics, PHAs break down naturally in soil, freshwater, and ocean environments, which would reduce microplastic pollution. With over 25 companies now producing PHAs and 30 or more brand owners adopting them, this emerging industry could help address the microplastic crisis at its source.

2022 Bioengineering 251 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Biological Synthesis of the Biodegradable Polymers Polyhydroxyalkanoates and the Development of Multiple Applications

This review covers the biological production of polyhydroxyalkanoates, a family of biodegradable bioplastics that bacteria naturally produce from waste carbon sources. Researchers found that these biopolymers have properties similar to conventional plastics like polypropylene but can fully biodegrade, making them a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The study emphasizes that scaling up production and establishing proper end-of-life management are critical steps for PHAs to compete with conventional plastics and help reduce microplastic pollution.

2022 Catalysts 169 citations
Article Tier 2

Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by the Valorization of Biomass and Synthetic Waste

This paper explores the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), biodegradable microbial polymers, from biomass and waste feedstocks as a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic plastics. PHAs can be naturally synthesized by bacteria, offering a pathway to biodegradable plastics that do not persist as microplastic pollution.

2020 Molecules 47 citations
Article Tier 2

PHA-Based Bioplastic: a Potential Alternative to Address Microplastic Pollution

This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based bioplastics as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, highlighting their potential to reduce microplastic pollution while discussing challenges in scaling production and improving material properties.

2022 Water Air & Soil Pollution 172 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Bio-polyesters – Circular Materials for Sustainable Development and Growth

This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers as circular carbon materials produced from renewable feedstocks and biodegradable across diverse environments, arguing that PHAs offer a more genuine solution to microplastic pollution than conventional bioplastics that require industrial composting.

2023 Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Switching from petro-plastics to microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA): the biotechnological escape route of choice out of the plastic predicament?

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.

2019 The EuroBiotech Journal 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer from crop residue using bacteria as an alternative to plastics: a review

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.

2025 RSC Advances 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial Production of Hydroxyalkanoates (PHA)

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.

2016 Universal Journal of Microbiology Research 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Current trends in the production of biodegradable bioplastics: The case of polyhydroxyalkanoates

This review evaluates the state of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic production, comparing microbiological, enzymatic, and chemical manufacturing approaches for their potential to replace petroleum-based plastics. While PHAs are naturally biodegradable and mechanically versatile, cost and scalability remain major barriers to commercial adoption.

2020 Biotechnology Advances 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Biopolyesters - Emerging and Major Products of Industrial Biotechnology

This review examined polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolyesters as industrially produced biodegradable plastics, covering their microbial biosynthesis, material properties, and commercial applications as sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics.

2022 The EuroBiotech Journal 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) – Production, Properties, and Biodegradation

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.

2022 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Poly(hydroxyalkanoates): Emerging Biopolymers in Biomedical Fields and Packaging Industries for a Circular Economy

This review examines poly(hydroxyalkanoates), or PHAs -- a family of biodegradable, bio-based plastics that break down without producing microplastics. PHAs show strong potential in biomedical applications like tissue engineering and implants because they are non-toxic and compatible with the human body. The paper discusses how PHAs could help address plastic waste and microplastic pollution while offering safe alternatives for both packaging and medical uses.

2024 Biomedical Materials & Devices 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances in Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Production, Volume 2

This editorial introduces a second special journal issue on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production — a class of biodegradable plastics produced by microorganisms — covering recent advances in bioprocessing and applications. PHAs are being developed as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics to reduce microplastic pollution.

2020 Bioengineering 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances in Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Production, Volume 3

This review synthesizes advances in polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyester production as a family of biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics, addressing growing public concern about plastic waste and microplastic formation by examining the latest research on PHA synthesis from fossil-free feedstocks.

2022 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyhydroxyalkanoates biosynthesis, resulting polymer structures, and plasticization

This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of biodegradable biopolymers synthesized by microorganisms, discussing strategies including plasticizers and monomer inclusion to overcome the brittleness and processing challenges of the most common PHA, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).

2024
Article Tier 2

Beyond Intracellular Accumulation of Polyhydroxyalkanoates: Chiral Hydroxyalkanoic Acids and Polymer Secretion

This review covers polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), biodegradable plastics produced by bacteria, which have potential as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Despite their versatility, PHAs remain expensive to produce at scale, limiting their commercial adoption.

2020 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploiting sugar-rich feedstocks for sustainable polyhydroxyalkanoate production

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.

2025 Circular Agricultural Systems
Article Tier 2

Novel Technologies for Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) Production

This review examines novel production technologies for polyhydroxyalkanoates, highlighting how the global problem of plastic and microplastic pollution has intensified interest in developing scalable, eco-friendly bioplastic alternatives over more than four decades of PHA research.

2025 Apple Academic Press eBooks