Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microbial Recycling of Bioplastics via Mixed-Culture Fermentation of Hydrolyzed Polyhydroxyalkanoates into Carboxylates

Hydrolyzed polyhydroxyalkanoate bioplastic was fermented using mixed microbial cultures, producing acetate (1.71 g/L) and butyrate (1.20 g/L) as carboxylate products, with overall yields of 0.07 g acetate and 0.049 g butyrate per gram PHA, demonstrating a potential circular economy recycling route.

2023 Materials 19 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

Plastic waste as a novel substrate for industrial biotechnology

This paper reviewed the potential of plastic waste as a novel substrate for industrial biotechnology, arguing that plastic polymers could serve as feedstocks for microbial processes that generate value-added chemicals or fuels.

2015 Microbial Biotechnology 181 citations
Article Tier 2

Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Bioplastics and Food Waste under Mesophilic and Thermophilic Conditions: Synergistic Effect and Biodegradation

Researchers investigated anaerobic co-digestion of bioplastics (PLA and PHA) with food waste under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, finding synergistic effects that enhanced methane production yields, demonstrating that co-digestion could be an effective strategy for managing bioplastic waste while generating renewable energy.

2022 Fermentation 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Biorefiningof Thermoplastic Starch via Depolymerizationand Methane Arrested Anaerobic Digestion

Researchers investigated the biorefining of thermoplastic starch through abiotic depolymerization under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions followed by methane-arrested anaerobic digestion to convert biodegradable plastic waste into platform chemicals. The study demonstrates that TPS, typically resistant to biogas conversion, can be directed into the carboxylate platform through controlled depolymerization and methane suppression.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microbial community acclimatization enhances bioplastics biodegradation and biogas production under thermophilic anaerobic digestion

Three sequential anaerobic digestion runs showed that microbial community acclimatization enhanced biodegradation and biogas production from starch-based and polylactic acid bioplastics, demonstrating that inoculum adaptation is key to improving bioplastic treatment in anaerobic systems.

2023 Bioresource Technology 25 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

Innovations in applications and prospects of bioplastics and biopolymers: a review

Researchers reviewed the chemistry, applications, and market outlook for bioplastic polymers including PHA, PLA, and cellulose-based materials, finding they offer meaningful environmental advantages over petroleum plastics but require further economic and performance optimization before achieving widespread commercial adoption.

2021 Environmental Chemistry Letters 421 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Enhancing Cupriavidus necator Fermentation for Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) Production From Low-Cost Carbon Sources

This review summarizes strategies for enhancing poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) bioplastic production by Cupriavidus necator using low-cost carbon sources, covering metabolic engineering approaches and fermentation optimization as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics.

2022 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermophilic anaerobic digestion of polylactic acid, polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics: effect of inoculum-substrate ratio and microbiome

Researchers tested thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic digestion of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polylactic acid microplastics at different substrate ratios to assess methane production and MP degradation. PLA showed greater degradation under thermophilic conditions, while PE and PP were largely resistant to both digestion temperatures.

2025 Biodegradation 2 citations
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

Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Biodegradable Plastics: Potential Mechanisms and Pathways.

This study examined how biodegradable plastics — PBAT and PLA — break down under anaerobic conditions in digestion systems, finding that microbial communities degrade them through distinct biochemical pathways. Understanding how biodegradable plastics decompose in real-world conditions like landfills and wastewater treatment is important for evaluating whether they truly degrade safely.

2024 Environmental science & technology
Article Tier 2

Hydrothermal carbonization of plastic waste: A review of its potential in alternative energy applications

Researchers reviewed how hydrothermal carbonization — a process that converts materials into a coal-like substance using heat and water under pressure — can transform plastic waste into useful products like solid fuels, catalysts, and materials for energy storage devices. While the technology is promising, challenges like variable plastic feedstock quality and scaling up production must be addressed before widespread commercial use.

2023 Fuel Communications 36 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

Chemical-Physical Characterization of Bio-Based Biodegradable Plastics in View of Identifying Suitable Recycling/Recovery Strategies and Numerical Modeling of PLA Pyrolysis

Researchers characterized several bio-based and biodegradable polymer alternatives to conventional plastics using chemical-physical methods, assessing their suitability for industrial composting and identifying challenges in managing these bioplastics in the existing waste stream.

2023 Waste and Biomass Valorization 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Transforming a mixture of real post-consumer plastic waste into activated carbon for biogas upgrading

Researchers explored converting mixed post-consumer plastic waste into activated carbon through pyrolysis and chemical activation for use in biogas purification. The resulting activated carbon demonstrated effective carbon dioxide adsorption capacity comparable to commercial alternatives. The study suggests that transforming hard-to-recycle plastic waste into useful carbon materials could offer a circular economy solution for both plastic pollution and renewable energy production.

2024 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic waste impact and biotechnology: Exploring polymer degradation, microbial role, and sustainable development implications

Researchers reviewed how microorganisms and their enzymes can break down different types of plastic waste through both aerobic (oxygen-using) and anaerobic (oxygen-free) pathways. The review highlights biotechnological tools like genetic modification that could accelerate plastic biodegradation, supporting a shift toward a circular economy.

2023 Bioresource Technology Reports 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative life cycle analysis of PHA-based consumer items for daily use

A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment compared PHA-based consumer items made from mixed microbial cultures using organic waste feedstock against conventional fossil-based equivalents, finding generally favorable environmental performance for PHA products in carbon footprint and fossil resource categories.

2023 Resources Conservation and Recycling 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward Microbial Recycling and Upcycling of Plastics: Prospects and Challenges

This review examines the prospects and challenges of using microorganisms to recycle and upcycle plastic waste, assessing the current state of microbial degradation research across major polymer types. The authors identify metabolic engineering and synthetic biology as key tools needed to make biological plastic recycling economically viable at scale.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 59 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

Exploring Microorganisms from Plastic-Polluted Sites: Unveiling Plastic Degradation and PHA Production Potential

Researchers screened microorganisms from plastic-polluted sites for their ability to break down conventional plastics and produce a biodegradable alternative called PHA. They identified several bacterial strains capable of degrading synthetic polymers and simultaneously producing this bio-based plastic from waste materials. The study highlights the potential for using naturally adapted microbes from contaminated environments as tools for both plastic cleanup and sustainable material production.

2023 Microorganisms 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Assessment of Thermo-Syngas Fermentative and Liquefaction Technologies as Waste Plastics Repurposing Strategies

This study compared thermo-syngas fermentation and hydrothermal liquefaction as technologies for converting waste plastics into liquid transportation fuels. Both approaches could divert plastic waste from the environment while producing usable energy, though they differ in efficiency and economic viability.

2020 AgriEngineering 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

Microplastic-Intervened Anaerobic Fermentation: Discrepancies in Hydrolysis and Acidification of Acidic/Alkaline Treatment

Researchers investigated how PET microplastics differentially affect hydrolysis and acidification stages of acidic versus alkaline anaerobic fermentation of waste-activated sludge, finding that acidic fermentation hydrolysis was more inhibited while alkaline fermentation acidification was more suppressed. Microbial analysis revealed that PET reduced acidification-associated gene expression (pta, aceE, aceF) only under alkaline conditions, while glycolysis genes were suppressed predominantly under acidic conditions.

2025 ACS ES&T Water