Scale-Up Aspects of PHA Production by Microbial Enrichment Cultures

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are microbial storage polymers accumulated by many different prokaryotes as an intracellular carbon and energy reserve. The polymer properties make PHA interesting as bioplastic. Moreover, the monomers could serve as chiral building blocks or be used as a biofuel.<br/>Currently, PHA is commercially produced using...

Combining the enrichment and accumulation step in non-axenic PHA production: Cultivation of Plasticicumulans acidivorans at high volume exchange ratios

The process for non-axenic polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from organic waste generally comprises three steps: acidogenic fermentation of the waste stream, enrichment of a PHA-producing culture, and production of the PHA. This study assesses the feasibility of combining the enrichment and production step. Harvesting PHA-rich biomass...