Making plastic with microorganisms instead of petrochemicals?

Polyester amide is a next-generation material that has the advantages of both commonly used plastics, PET (polyester) and nylon (polyamide). Until now, it could only be produced through a petrochemical process, which could not avoid environmental pollution problems.



A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has succeeded in developing a new bio-based plastic using microorganisms to replace plastic.



KAIST (President Kwang-hyung Lee) announced on the 20th that the research team led by Distinguished Professor Sang-yeop Lee of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering developed a microbial strain using systems metabolic engineering and produced several new types of eco-friendly bioplastics, polyester amide.



The KAIST research team has developed a strain of a bio-based nylon-like plastic. Professor Sang-yeop Lee of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at KAIST, Dr. Dong-eon Chae, Dr. So-young Choi, and PhD candidate Da-hee Ahn (from left). [Photo = KAIST]



The research team announced on the 20th that they successfully confirmed the properties of the plastic produced through joint analysis with the research team at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (President Young-guk Lee).



Professor Lee Sang-yeop's research team designed a new microbial metabolic pathway that does not exist in nature and developed a platform microbial strain that can produce nine different polyester amides.



Using glucose, the most abundant biomass raw material on Earth such as waste wood and weeds, as a raw material, they were able to produce polyester amides in an environmentally friendly manner. The research team also confirmed the possibility of industrialization by demonstrating high-efficiency production (54.57 g/L) using the fed-batch fermentation process of the Haedan strain.



The KAIST research team, together with researchers Jeong Hae-min and Shin Ji-hoon of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, analyzed the properties of bio-based plastics and found that they have similar properties to existing high-density polyethylene (HDPE).



They confirmed that they are environmentally friendly and have excellent strength and durability that can replace existing plastics.



The strains and strategies developed in this study are expected to be useful in constructing metabolic pathways that produce not only various polyester amides but also various polymers from other groups.



Professor Lee Sang-yeop said, "This study is the first in the world to suggest the possibility of producing polyester amide (plastic) through a renewable bio-based chemical industry without relying on the petrochemical industry," and added, "We plan to continue research to further increase production and productivity in the future."



The results of the study (paper title: Biosynthesis of poly(ester amide)s in engineered Escherichia coli) were published online in the international academic journal 'Nature Chemical Biology' on March 17.





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