Editor: Martin Koller

Series Title: Recent Advances in Biotechnology

Microbial Biopolyester Production, Performance and Processing

Volume 1

eBook: US $129 Special Offer (PDF + Printed Copy): US $236
Printed Copy: US $171
Library License: US $516
ISSN: 2468-5364 (Print)
ISSN: 2468-5372 (Online)
ISBN: 978-1-68108-326-1 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-68108-325-4 (Online)
Year of Publication: 2016
DOI: 10.2174/97816810832541160101

Introduction

Global plastic production is estimated to be over 300Mt annually. Most conventional plastics are predominantly produced from fossil fuels and are highly resistant to biodegradation, and only a small share of about 20% of spent plastics is believed to be recycled, which is a cause for environmental concern. Biodegradable plastics would solve this concern as they are a sustainable alternative, yet these do not even cover 5% of the global plastic market.

Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a versatile group of polyesters produced by nature as prokaryotic storage materials. PHAs can be produced through sustainable bioprocess engineering and have displayed remarkable flexibility in their physical and chemical properties. PHAs are the subject of several scientific papers and numerous PHA patents have also been filed, generating significant interest in the plastic production industry.

To develop overall sustainable and efficient production processes, all bioprocess steps need to be thoroughly understood and accounted for. These processes start with the selection of suitable inexpensive raw materials (microbes and enzymes), optimizing the process engineering and process regime, and conclude with the enhancement of product recovery in terms of time, energy, and material input.

Microbial Biopolyester Production, Performance and Processing: Microbiology, Feedstocks, and Metabolism encompasses eight chapters that cover aspects of the microbiology and biotechnology of producing biodegradable plastics. The contents focus on the selection of powerful archaeal and eubacterial production strains, genetic engineering as a tool for optimized PHA production and inexpensive carbon sources for microbial cultures. The volume is a useful resource for bioprocess engineers, microbiologists, biotechnologists and chemical engineers interested in the basics of biodegradable plastic production.

Contributors

Editor(s):
Martin Koller
Office of Research Management and Service
c/o Institute of Chemistry
University of Graz
NAWI Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28/III, 8010 Graz
Austria




Contributor(s):
Abdulrahman A. Kehail
Department of Bioengineering
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
USA


András Fülóp
Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research
Division for Biotechnology
Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged
Hungary


Bruce A. Ramsay
Department of Chemical Engineering
Queen’s University, Kingston
ON K7L 3N6
Canada


Christopher J. Brigham
Department of Bioengineering
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
USA


Dan Kucera
Faculty of Chemistry
Brno University of Technology
Czech Republic


Diogo Queirós
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Chemistry Department
University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago
3810-193 Aveiro
Portugal


Gábor Rákhely
Department of Biotechnology
University of Szeged; Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged
Hungary


Gerhart Braunegg
ARENA Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Ressourcenschonende & Nachhaltige Technologien
Inffeldgasse 21b
8010 Graz
Austria


Hua Xiang
State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources
Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Beijing
People’s Republic of China


Ivana Marova
Faculty of Chemistry
Brno University of Technology
Czech Republic


Jacob D Palmer
Department of Bioengineering
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
USA


Lorenzo Favaro
Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animals and Environment
University of Padova
AGRIPOLIS
Italy


Luísa Seuanes Serafim
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Chemistry Department
University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago
3810-193 Aveiro
Portugal


Lukas Marsalek
Department of Biotechnology
Institute of Applied Microbiology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Wien
Austria


Marina Basaglia
Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animals and Environment
University of Padova
AGRIPOLIS
Italy


Martin Koller
University of Graz; Office of Research Management and Service
c/o Institute of Chemistry, NAWI Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28/III, 8010 Graz
Austria.
/
ARENA Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Ressourcenschonende & Nachhaltige Technologien
Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz
Austria


Paulo Costa Lemos
LAQV, REQUIMTE, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology
University Nova of Lisbon
2829-516 Caparica
Portugal


Pavla Benesova
Faculty of Chemistry
Brno University of Technology
Czech Republic


Péter B. Kós
Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged
Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Közép fasor 52
H-6726 Szeged
Hungary


Sergio Casella
Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animals and Environment
University of Padova
AGRIPOLIS
Italy


Simona Rossetti
Water Research Institute
C.N.R., Via Salaria Km 29,300
00015 Monterotondo
Italy


Stanislav Obruca
Faculty of Chemistry
Brno University of Technology
Czech Republic