Chloroplast-Derived Polyhydroxy Butyrate Polymers

Genetic engineering of plant chloroplasts allows the use of transgenic crops to synthesize novel polymers with useful material properties. Lifeasible has successfully developed a variety of reliable and economical solutions for chloroplast engineering in biomaterials. Our engineers focus on developing polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) polymers for environmentally friendly alternatives using chloroplast transformation methods.

Introduction

Plastic pollution currently poses a serious environmental threat to mankind. The development of renewable resources and biodegradable bioplastic materials is a boon for solving our global environmental challenges and restoring the planet. The most promising material currently being developed and evaluated is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a microbial bioprocessed polyester belonging to the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family. PHB materials are generally hard and brittle, with low thermal stability and high crystallinity. The raw material sources for its production are renewable and sustainable. Additionally, many PHB polymers have properties similar to the petroleum polymers polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). Its good mechanical properties and biodegradability make PHB a high potential replacement for petrochemical polymers when exposed to certain active biological environments.

Fig. 1. Graphical illustration of the different PHB modification approaches. (Yeo J C C, et al., 2018)

Solutions

High production cost, low yield, easy degradation, and technical complexity have always been challenges for large-scale production of PHB. Plants may be a suitable option for low-cost production of PHB polymers. We have successfully applied chloroplast transformation technology to the research and development of polyhydroxy butyrate polymers. Lifeasible is committed to developing strategies to increase the ability of transgenic plants to produce pHBA.

• Introduction of the biosynthetic pathway of PHB into the chloroplast genomes of transgenic tobacco, maize and oilseed rape.
• The same three bacterial genes involved in PHB synthesis were combined on a binary vector.
• The gene to synthesize PHB was constructed in maize leaves and chloroplasts to transform maize.
• Expression of the PHB biosynthetic pathway via peroxisomes.

Our goal is to use chloroplast transformation to synthesize a wide range of polyhydroxyalkanoates with properties ranging from hard plastics to soft elastomers and glues in the plastids of plants, as well as develope their applications in the environment, packaging, veterinary and medical markets. The flow of our solution is as follows:

Fig. 2. The flow of chloroplast-derived polyhydroxy butyrate polymers solutions.

Attractive Advantages of Our Solutions

• PHB has great potential to overcome the sustainability and recycling issues of petrochemical plastics.
• PHB is biocompatible and biodegradable, making it an ideal substitute for synthetic polymers.
• On the premise of meeting the quality requirements of the final product, the production cost is minimized.
• Continuously improving bioengineering processes to produce efficient, high-yield, high-performance PHB.
• Continue to open up a wide range of new applications and market opportunities for PHB materials.

Lifeasible is committed to providing customers around the world with fully customized chloroplast engineered solutions for polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) polymers. Please contact us to discuss further details to ensure your next success.

References

1. Yeo J C C, Muiruri J K, Thitsartarn W, et al. (2018) Recent advances in the development of biodegradable PHB-based toughening materials: Approaches, advantages and applications[J]. Materials Science and Engineering: C. 92: 1092-1116.
2. McAdam B, Brennan Fournet M, McDonald P, et al. (2020) Production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and factors impacting its chemical and mechanical characteristics[J]. Polymers. 12(12): 2908.