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Biological Approaches in Polyhydroxyalkanoates Recovery

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Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are bio-based polymers with the potential of replace petrochemical plastics. Nevertheless, PHA commercialization is still low, due to the high production cost associated with industrial-scale development. The most cost/efficient PHA recovery strategies use organochlorine compounds or harsh reagents implying a high environmental impact. Therefore, the importance of developing an economical and efficient recovery strategy cannot be overestimated. Thus, new approaches have been reported that look for creating a sustainable production process, such as biological recovery, PHA secretion or predator bacteria. Moreover, if bioplastics would become the plastics of the future, it must be necessary to replace the traditional PHA extraction methods by environmentally friendly options. Hence, the aim of this review is to analyze trends in the development of efficient technologies for the sustainable recovery of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) produced by microorganisms.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financial supported by the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT)—Chile, with the Science Project for doctoral studies in Chile #21191476. Also, thanks for the Financial support: Proyecto Anillo ACT 172128. Genomics and Applied Microbiology for Biodegradation and Bioproducts (GAMBIO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Doctoral Program in Sciences of Natural Resources, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

    K. Gonzalez

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Av. Francisco Salazar, 01145, Temuco, Chile

    R. Navia & Mara Cea

  3. Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile

    R. Navia

  4. College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    Shijie Liu

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Gonzalez, K., Navia, R., Liu, S. et al. Biological Approaches in Polyhydroxyalkanoates Recovery. Curr Microbiol 78, 1–10 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02263-1

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