Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates by fermentation of bacteria

Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are carbon and energy reserve material accumulated by numerous microorganisms and have been drawing much attention as biodegradable substitutes for conventional nondegradable plastics and elastomers. There are a number of different PHAs having a variety of material properties based on the different monomer composition. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) are now efficiently produced by bacterial fermentation at reasonable production costs. Recent advances in the production of short-chain-length (SCL) PHAs by bacterial fermentation are reviewed. Current status of the production of medium-chain-length (MCL) PHAs and SCL-MCL-PHA copolymers is also reviewed.