Enhanced production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) biopolymer by recombinant Bacillus megaterium in fed-batch bioreactors

Perceiving biobased plastics as an alternative and innovative solution to combat plastic pollution for a circular economy

Plastic waste from fossil-based sources, including single-use packaging materials, is continuously accumulating in landfills, and leaching into the environment. A 2021 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report suggests that the plastic pollution is likely to be doubled by 2030, posing a major challenge to the environment and the overall global plastic waste management efforts. The use of biobased plastics such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) as a biodegradable substitute for petroleum-based plastics could be a feasible option to combat this issue which may further result in much lower carbon emissions and energy usage in comparison to conventional plastics as additional advantages. Though recent years have seen the use of microbes as biosynthetic machinery for biobased plastics, using various renewable feedstocks, the scaled-up production of such materials is still challenging. The current study outlays applications of biobased plastics, potential microorganisms producing biobased plastics such as Cupriavidus necator, Bacillus sp., Rhodopseudomonas palustris, microalgae, and mixed microbial cultures, and inexpensive and renewable resources as carbon substrates including industrial wastes. This review also provides deep insights into the operational parameters, challenges and mitigation, and future opportunities for maximizing the production of biobased plastic products. Finally, this review emphasizes the concept of biorefinery as a sustainable and innovative solution for biobased plastic production for achieving a circular bioeconomy.

Bacillales: From Taxonomy to Biotechnological and Industrial Perspectives

For a long time, the genus Bacillus has been known and considered among the most applicable genera in several fields. Recent taxonomical developments resulted in the identification of more species in Bacillus-related genera, particularly in the order Bacillales (earlier heterotypic synonym: Caryophanales), with potential application for biotechnological and industrial purposes such as biofuels, bioactive agents, biopolymers, and enzymes. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the taxonomy, growth requirements and physiology, genomics, and metabolic pathways in the highly diverse bacterial order, Bacillales, will facilitate a more robust designing and sustainable production of strain lines relevant to a circular economy. This paper is focused principally on less-known genera and their potential in the order Bacillales for promising applications in the industry and addresses the taxonomical complexities of this order. Moreover, it emphasizes the biotechnological usage of some engineered strains of the order Bacillales. The elucidation of novel taxa, their metabolic pathways, and growth conditions would make it possible to drive industrial processes toward an upgraded functionality based on the microbial nature.

Sustainable Process for the Production of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) from Renewable Resources: A Simulation Study

Bacterially produced polyhydroxyalkanoates are valuable substitutes for petrochemical plastics, but their current production capacities are very scarce. Producing poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB-co-HV) from methane and odd-chain carbon fatty acids could make the production of this biodegradable polymer cost-effective. This study analyzes the main factors affecting methanotrophic growth and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) accumulation, simulating a pilot-scale process based on a double-stage approach. The effects of the nitrogen source and the oxygen partial pressure during a 20 day growth phase were studied; the cosubstrate concentration, the culture selected, and the methane partial pressure were investigated during the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) production stage performed within 15 days under nutrient starvation. Methylocystis parvus OBBP and Methylosinus thricosporum OB3b reached the maximum growth productivities with ammonium as the nitrogen source and oxygen at high partial pressure. The simulation of the PHB-co-HV accumulation revealed that methanotrophs could better accumulate the polymer with low valeric acid concentrations. A methane-abundant gas stream (0.5 atm of methane) could increase process yields up to 0.32 kg m^-3 d^-1.

Contribution of Fermentation Technology to Building Blocks for Renewable Plastics

Large-scale worldwide production of plastics requires the use of large quantities of fossil fuels, leading to a negative impact on the environment. If the production of plastic continues to increase at the current rate, the industry will account for one fifth of global oil use by 2050. Bioplastics currently represent less than one percent of total plastic produced, but they are expected to increase in the coming years, due to rising demand. The usage of bioplastics would allow the dependence on fossil fuels to be reduced and could represent an opportunity to add some interesting functionalities to the materials. Moreover, the plastics derived from bio-based resources are more carbon-neutral and their manufacture generates a lower amount of greenhouse gasses. The substitution of conventional plastic with renewable plastic will therefore promote a more sustainable economy, society, and environment. Consequently, more and more studies have been focusing on the production of interesting bio-based building blocks for bioplastics. However, a coherent review of the contribution of fermentation technology to a more sustainable plastic production is yet to be carried out. Here, we present the recent advancement in bioplastic production and describe the possible integration of bio-based monomers as renewable precursors. Representative examples of both published and commercial fermentation processes are discussed.

Biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) in metabolically recombinant Escherichia coli

In this study, a phaC_R gene encoding PHA synthase was identified in Rhodoligotrophos defluvii which was adjacent to β-ketothiolase encoded by phaA_R gene and acetoacetyl-CoA reductase encoded by phaB_R gene. Amino acid comparison of PhaC_R showed the highest homology of 65.98% with PhaC of R. appendicifer, while its homology with typical class I PHA synthase in Cupriavidus necator was only 42.54%. PHA synthesis genes were then transformed into E. coli harboring phaCAB_R and phaC_RAB_C which were cultured with 15 g/L glucose respectively, and 20.46 wt% and 16.95 wt% of CDW for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) were accumulated respectively. To further explore the effect of substrate specificity for PHA production, the ptsG gene was then deleted and 15 g/L glucose and 1.5 g/L propionate were co-employed as carbon sources, which enabled the synthesis of poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolymer. As a result, poly(3HB-co-3HV) was accumulated up to 24.74 wt% of CDW, and the highest content of 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) was 10.86 mol%. The T_d5 was 260 °C, which implied that it possessed good thermal stability, and the M_w of GPC in recombinant strains were between 22 and 26 × 10⁴ g/mol, and the highest PDI was 3.771. The structure of poly (3HB-co-3HV) copolymer was determined through ¹H NMR analysis.

A critical review on production of biopolymers from algae biomass and their applications

Algae is abundantly present in our ecosystems and can be easily extracted and used for production of biopolymers. Algae does not produce any anthropogenic, harmful effects, has a good growth rate, and cultivable in wastewater. This literature elucidates the potential of algae biomass by comparing various seaweed and microalgae strains. The routes for biopolymer production were portrayed and their novel methods of isolation such as microwave assisted, ultrasound assisted, and subcritical water assisted extraction are discussed in detail. These novel methods are observed to be highly efficient compared to conventional solvent extraction, with the microwave assisted and ultrasound assisted processes yielding 33% and 5% more biopolymer respectively than the conventional method. Biopolymers are used in variety of applications such as environmental remediation, adsorbent and antioxidant. Biopolymer is shown to be highly effective in the removal of potentially toxic elements and is seen to extract more than 40 mg PTE/g biopolymer.