Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Bioplastics01:27

Bioplastics

69
Bioplastics derived from microbial processes present a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Among these, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), particularly polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs), have emerged as prominent candidates due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. These polymers are synthesized by a variety of bacteria, such as Cupriavidus necator and Pseudomonas putida, which naturally accumulate PHAs as intracellular carbon and energy reserves, especially under...
69
Biofuels01:25

Biofuels

107
The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...
107
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

3.5K
Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
3.5K
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters01:20

Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters

1.7K
The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the...
1.7K
Hydrolysis01:15

Hydrolysis

104.3K
Overview
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
104.3K
Production of Organic Acids01:25

Production of Organic Acids

105
Lactic acid, an important organic acid extensively applied in food, pharmaceutical, and biodegradable polymer industries, is primarily produced via microbial fermentation. This method is favored over chemical synthesis due to its environmental sustainability and capacity for enantiomerically pure product formation. Among various microbial processes, the fermentation of starch-based substrates stands out due to the abundance and renewability of raw materials like corn and potatoes.Hydrolysis of...
105

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Serum α-Klotho associated with oral health among a nationally representative sample of US adults.

Frontiers in endocrinology·2022
Same author

Regulation of wakefulness by astrocytes in the lateral hypothalamus.

Neuropharmacology·2022
Same author

Linear ubiquitination of PTEN impairs its function to promote prostate cancer progression.

Oncogene·2022
Same author

TGFB2-AS1 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer progression via interaction with SMARCA4 and regulating its targets <i>TGFB2</i> and <i>SOX2</i>.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2022
Same author

Baseline proteomics characterisation of the emerging host biomanufacturing organism Halomonas bluephagenesis.

Scientific data·2022
Same author

Dose-response relationship between dietary inflammatory index and diabetic kidney disease in US adults.

Public health nutrition·2022
Same journal

Upcycling food processing byproducts via advanced yeast fermentation.

Current opinion in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Microbial C1 assimilation pathways for chemical synthesis: from native metabolism to synthetic design.

Current opinion in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Medicinal plants fermentation: current knowledge and perspectives.

Current opinion in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Fermented foods: lessons learned from metagenomics.

Current opinion in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Microfluidic platforms for the transient transfection of mammalian cells: recent developments and challenges.

Current opinion in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Harvesting insights from recent advances in yeast genomics for predictable and precision wine fermentation.

Current opinion in biotechnology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste
08:14

Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste

Published on: July 18, 2025

1.7K

Polyhydroxyalkanoates, challenges and opportunities.

Ying Wang1, Jin Yin1, Guo-Qiang Chen1

  • 1MOE Key Lab of Bioinformatics, School of Life Science, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.

Current Opinion in Biotechnology
|July 1, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable plastics facing market challenges due to low petroleum prices. New strategies using systems and synthetic biology aim to make PHA production cost-competitive and enable high-value applications.

More Related Videos

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
05:48

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes

Published on: November 21, 2017

7.4K
Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications
09:22

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Published on: August 28, 2015

18.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste
08:14

Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste

Published on: July 18, 2025

1.7K
Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
05:48

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes

Published on: November 21, 2017

7.4K
Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications
09:22

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Published on: August 28, 2015

18.8K

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Polymer Science
  • Microbial Engineering

Background:

  • Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable plastics with limited market penetration.
  • Low petroleum prices reduce the competitiveness of PHA against petroleum-based plastics.
  • Developing cost-effective and high-value PHA is crucial for market expansion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline strategies for enhancing PHA production and competitiveness.
  • To explore the use of systems and synthetic biology in PHA development.
  • To enable high-value applications through precise control of PHA molecular structures.

Main Methods:

  • Developing super PHA production strains and advanced fermentation processes for cost reduction.
  • Constructing functional PHA production strains for precise molecular structure control.
  • Utilizing systems and synthetic biology approaches to implement these strategies.

Main Results:

  • PHA production can be made more cost-competitive through strain and process optimization.
  • Precise control over PHA molecular structures can lead to high-value applications.
  • Systems and synthetic biology offer powerful tools for achieving these goals.

Conclusions:

  • Advanced biotechnology approaches can overcome PHA market limitations.
  • Future PHA production can be cost-competitive with petroleum-based plastics.
  • Tailored PHA structures will unlock new, high-value applications.