Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recent Biotechnological Applications of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) in the Biomedical Sector—A Review

This review surveys recent biotechnological applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable biopolymers produced by microorganisms, in the biomedical sector. Researchers highlight their use in drug delivery carriers and tissue engineering scaffolds as environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics. The study suggests that the structural versatility of these biopolymers makes them promising candidates for replacing polluting materials in medical applications.

2023 Polymers 35 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Definitions and Types of Microbial Biopolyesters and Derived Biomaterials

This review clarified distinctions between types of bioplastics — biobased, biosynthesized, biodegradable, and compostable — focusing on microbial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyesters as genuinely sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics.

2023 2 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

Microbial PolyHydroxyAlkanoate (PHA) Biopolymers—Intrinsically Natural

This review makes the case for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), naturally produced bioplastics made by bacteria, as a solution to fossil plastic pollution. Unlike conventional plastics that break down into persistent microplastics, PHAs are fully biodegradable in soil, water, and marine environments. Widespread adoption of PHAs could help reduce the growing burden of microplastic contamination that threatens ecosystems and human health.

2023 Bioengineering 62 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

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

Polyhydroxyalkanoates – Linking Properties, Applications and End-of-life Options

This review presents polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolyesters as a leading class of genuinely biodegradable bioplastics, linking their material properties and diverse applications to end-of-life options while addressing legislative confusion in the broader bioplastics landscape.

2020 Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly 78 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

Study of Bacterial Biopolymer Production by Bacillus Species

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.

2022 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Approaches in Manufacturing Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Biopolyesters of Tailored Structure with Focus on the Diversity of Building Blocks

This review examines chemical and biochemical engineering strategies for manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with tailored structures, covering short-, medium-, and long-chain PHA homo-, co-, ter-, and quarterpolyesters produced from diverse microbial feedstocks. Researchers found that monomeric composition and biosynthesis conditions are the primary determinants of PHA material properties, enabling design of biopolymers that closely mimic conventional thermoplastics and elastomers.

2019 Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly 77 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

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

Advancements in genetic engineering for enhanced Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production: a comprehensive review of metabolic pathway manipulation and gene deletion strategies

This review examines genetic engineering strategies for boosting production of polyhydroxyalkanoates, which are biodegradable bioplastics produced by bacteria. Researchers describe how modifying metabolic pathways and deleting competing genes can significantly increase bioplastic yields. The technology is relevant to the microplastics problem because scaling up biodegradable plastic alternatives could help reduce the accumulation of persistent conventional plastics in the environment.

2025 Bioengineered 17 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