Researchers in Korea have made a significant breakthrough in developing plastic-producing microbes as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. They have engineered bacteria to produce polymers with ring-like structures, enhancing rigidity and thermal stability. This achievement is a significant step towards mitigating climate change and the global plastic crisis. The researchers successfully designed a metabolic pathway for E. coli bacteria to produce the polymer, tolerating the accumulation of both the polymer and its precursors. The resulting polymer is biodegradable and has physical properties useful for biomedical applications. The breakthrough is the first-ever microbial production of aromatic and aliphatic polymers, which are commonly used in packaging and industrial applications. The team plans to scale up production and optimize the process to enable larger-scale commercialization. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing of bioplastics, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics.
Bacteria genetically engineered to produce heat-resistant bioplastics for the first time.
