Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Towards polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesis with mixed microbial communities: exploring the uncoupled feeding strategy

This research explored mixed microbial communities for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic synthesis as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The study examined uncoupled feeding strategies to improve PHA yields from microbial consortia in waste-based feedstocks.

2025 Florence Research (University of Florence)
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

The co-conversion of methane and mixtures of volatile fatty acids into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) expands the potential of an integrated biorefinery

Researchers used a methane-consuming bacterium to simultaneously convert natural gas and food waste byproducts into PHBV, a biodegradable plastic alternative, achieving yields that varied depending on the mix of waste acids supplied. This integrated biorefinery approach could reduce reliance on conventional petroleum-based plastics by making biodegradable polymers from waste streams.

2023 Bioresource Technology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Mesophilic fermentation explorations for anaerobic carboxylates production from commercial bioplastic products: PHA-based cups & PLA-based lids

Mesophilic (moderate-temperature) fermentation conditions were explored for anaerobic carboxylation reactions, with relevance to converting plastic-derived carbon compounds into useful chemicals. The research supports valorization pathways that could reduce plastic waste accumulation.

2025 Bioresource Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine-Derived Actinomycetes: Biodegradation of Plastics and Formation of PHA Bioplastics—A Circular Bioeconomy Approach

Marine-derived actinomycetes were found capable of accelerating plastic biodegradation and producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) as biodegradable plastic alternatives, offering a dual solution to plastic pollution. The study highlights marine microbial biodiversity as an underexplored source of both plastic-degrading enzymes and bio-based polymer production capacity.

2022 Marine Drugs 40 citations
Article Tier 2

The synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates from low carbon wastewater under anaerobic-microaerobic process: effects of pH and nitrogen and phosphorus limitation

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.

2021 Environmental Engineering Research 13 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

What Is New in the Field of Industrial Wastes Conversion into Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Bacteria?

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.

2021 Polymers 24 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

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

Sustainable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production from Food Waste via Bacillus mycoides ICRI89: Enhanced 3D Printing with Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Blend

Not relevant to microplastics — this study develops a process for producing the bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from food waste using bacteria, then blends it with poly(methyl methacrylate) for use as a 3D printing filament.

2023 Polymers 10 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

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

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

An Overview of Biorefinery Waste for Microbial Production of Green Plastic in a Circular Economy

This review examines how waste streams from biorefineries — such as agricultural residues and food processing byproducts — can be used as feedstocks for microbial production of bioplastics like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). The authors assess current production methods, cost challenges, and the potential for a circular bioeconomy where plastic alternatives are made from waste rather than fossil fuels. While not about microplastic contamination directly, reducing reliance on conventional plastics through bio-based alternatives is a key long-term strategy for limiting microplastic generation.

2025 Food Technology and Biotechnology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Insightful Advancement and Opportunities for Microbial Bioplastic Production

This review surveys advances in microbial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and other bioplastics, highlighting fermentation optimization, feedstock diversification, and genetic engineering strategies that could make microbially-derived bioplastics economically competitive with petroleum-based plastics.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental life cycle assessment of polyhydroxyalkanoates production by purple phototrophic bacteria mixed cultures

A life cycle assessment of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic production using purple phototrophic bacteria and municipal organic waste found that the photobiorefinery process dominates environmental impacts due to energy use and chemical inputs, but showed net carbon and fossil resource benefits compared to conventional plastics.

2023 Journal of Cleaner Production 24 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

Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyvalerate) Scaffolds

This study tested how bacterial enzymes degrade polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyester scaffolds made from agricultural waste carbon sources, finding that enzymatic hydrolysis effectively breaks down the material. The development of bio-based, enzymatically degradable polymers is relevant to creating plastics that will not persist as microplastics in the environment.

2020 Materials 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioconversion of whey to Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA): Process Optimization and Yield Enhancement

Researchers investigated the microbial biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate using cheese whey as a substrate with a novel Stutzerimonas stutzeri strain, optimising the process to enhance PHA yield as a biodegradable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics.

2025
Article Tier 2

Transformation of Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Chlorella–Fungus Mixed Biomass into Poly(hydroxyalkanoates)

Researchers demonstrated that enzymatic hydrolysates of mixed Chlorella-fungus biomass can be biotransformed into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), offering a low-cost feedstock route for producing biodegradable bioplastics from algal waste.

2023 Catalysts 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial degradation of polypropylene microplastics and concomitant polyhydroxybutyrate production: An integrated bioremediation approach with metagenomic insights

Researchers isolated microbial consortia capable of degrading polypropylene microplastics, achieving weight losses of up to 17.8% after 30 days of incubation. The most effective consortium also produced polyhydroxybutyrate, a biodegradable plastic alternative, while breaking down the polypropylene. Metagenomic analysis revealed abundant carbohydrate-active enzymes and oxidation pathways, suggesting an integrated bioremediation approach that simultaneously degrades plastic waste and generates a useful bioplastic.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Prospective LCA to provide environmental guidance for developing waste-to-PHA biorefineries

Researchers used life cycle assessment to map out how future biorefineries could produce biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHA) from waste streams with up to 50% lower environmental impact compared to business-as-usual, provided supportive environmental policies are in place. The study identifies how well plastic is extracted from the microbial biomass as the single biggest factor controlling the process's environmental footprint.

2022 Journal of Cleaner Production 40 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