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Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Co-polymer by Bacillus thuringiensis

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Abstract

Integrative processes for the production of bioenergy and biopolymers are gaining importance in recent years as alternatives to fossil fuels and synthetic plastics. In the present study, Bacillus thuringiensis strain EGU45 has been used to generate hydrogen (H2), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and new co-polymers (NP). Under batch culture conditions with 250 ml synthetic media, B. thuringiensis EGU45 produced up to 0.58 mol H2/mol of glucose. Effluent from the H2 production stage was incubated under shaking conditions leading to the production of PHB up to 95 mg/l along with NP of levulinic acid up to 190 mg/l. A twofold to fourfold enhancement in PHB and up to 1.5 fold increase in NP yields was observed on synthetic medium (mixture of M-9+GM-2 medium in 1:1 ratio) containing at 1–2 % glucose concentration. The novelty of this work lies in developing modified physiological conditions, which induce bacterial culture to produce NP.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Director of CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology and Department of Biotechnology, Government of India for providing the necessary funds, facilities and moral support. M. Singh and P. Kumar are thankful to UGC and CSIR for Senior Research Fellowships and S.K.S. Patel to CSIR for Research Associate Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbial Biotechnology and Genomics, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi, 110007, India

    Mamtesh Singh, Prasun Kumar, Sanjay K. S. Patel & Vipin C. Kalia

  2. Department of Biotechnology, University of Pune, Pune, 411007, India

    Prasun Kumar

Authors
  1. Mamtesh Singh
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  2. Prasun Kumar
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  3. Sanjay K. S. Patel
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  4. Vipin C. Kalia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sanjay K. S. Patel.

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Singh, M., Kumar, P., Patel, S.K.S. et al. Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Co-polymer by Bacillus thuringiensis . Indian J Microbiol 53, 77–83 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-012-0294-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-012-0294-7

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