Thermal pre-processing before extraction of polyhydroxyalkanoates for molecular weight quality control

Past studies have repeatedly demonstrated the technical feasibility to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) using bacterial biomass of mixed microbial cultures (MMCs). Commercial quality grades of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), PHBV, can be produced with control of average monomer composition. However, demonstration of PHBV...

PHA biosynthesis, recovery, and application: A circular value chain for production of self-healing concrete from waste

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a family of biopolymers produced intracellular<br/>by a range of different bacteria.PHA have attracted widespread attention as<br/>an environmental friendly replacement of fossil-based polymers, because they<br/>have thermoplastic and/or elastomeric properties, and are also biobased and<br/>biodegradable.Moreover,...

Production of a newly discovered PHA family member with an isobutyrate-fed enrichment culture

Abstract: Using microbial enrichment cultures for the production of waste-derived polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is a promising technology to recover secondary resources. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) form the preferred substrate for PHA production. Isobutyrate is a VFA appearing in multiple waste valorization routes, such as anaerobic...

Production of medium-chain-length PHA in octanoate-fed enrichments dominated by Sphaerotilus sp.

Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) production by using microbial enrichments is a promising but largely unexplored approach to obtain elastomeric biomaterials from secondary resources. In this study, several enrichment strategies were tested to select a community with a high mcl-PHA storage capacity when feeding octanoate. On...

Systematic solvent screening and selection for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHBV) recovery from biomass

The biotechnological production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) derived from organic waste streams by mixed microbial communities is well established at the pilot-level. However, there is limited research on the recovery of the biopolymer from the microbial biomass, while its impact on product quality and product costs...

From waste to self-healing concrete: A proof-of-concept of a new application for polyhydroxyalkanoate

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production is a promising opportunity to recover organic carbon from waste streams. However, widespread application of waste-derived PHA as biodegradable plastic is restricted by expensive purification steps, high quality requirements, and a fierce competition with the conventional plastic market. To overcome these...

On the Applicability of a Precursor Derived from Organic Waste Streams for Bacteria-Based Self-Healing Concrete

Bacteria-based self-healing concrete has the ability to heal cracks due to the bacterial conversion of incorporated organic compounds into calcium carbonate. Precipitates seal the cracks, theoretically increasing the service life of constructions. The aim of this paper is to propose a precursor for bacteria-based self-healing concrete derived...