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Prospects for Biopolymer Production in Plants

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Green Gene Technology

Part of the book series: Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology ((ABE,volume 107))

Abstract

It is likely that during this century polymers based on renewable materials will gradually replace industrial polymers based on petrochemicals. This chapter gives an overview of the current status of research on plant biopolymers that are used as a material in non-food applications. We cover technical and scientific bottlenecks in the production of novel or improved materials, and the potential of using transgenic or alternative crops in overcoming these bottlenecks. Four classes of biopolymers will be discussed: starch, proteins, natural rubber, and poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates. Renewable polymers produced by chemical polymerization of monomers derived from sugars, vegetable oil, or proteins, are not considered here.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Biologie Moléculaire Végétale, Université de Lausanne, Bâtiment Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jan B. van Beilen & Yves Poirier

Authors
  1. Jan B. van Beilen
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  2. Yves Poirier
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yves Poirier .

Editor information

Armin Fiechter Christof Sautter

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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van Beilen, J.B., Poirier, Y. (2007). Prospects for Biopolymer Production in Plants. In: Fiechter, A., Sautter, C. (eds) Green Gene Technology. Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, vol 107. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/10_2007_056

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