iBB

Researchers from BERG and Biotrend have reported for the first time the ability of Burkholderia sacchari to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate co-4-hydroxybutyrate) - P(3HB-co-4HB) - from xylose-rich wheat straw hydrolysates (WSH) using gamma butyrolactone (GBL) as precursor. In a joint publication in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, members from the two teams describe a fed-batch process that achieves high copolymer productivities (0.5 g/L.h) and 4HB incorporations (5.0 molar%) using WSH and GBL.. Due to their properties, polymers like P(3HB-co-4HB) may replace petrochemically produced bulk plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. The fact that they are completely degradable to carbon dioxide and water through natural microbiological mineralization constitute additional advantages of PHB derivatives.