Bacterial cellulose: Enhancing productivity and material properties through repeated harvest

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Materials Science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a versatile biopolymer with industrial potential.
• High production costs and low yields limit large-scale BC application.
• Sustainable production methods are needed to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative strategy for enhancing BC production.
• To investigate the effects of prolonged static culturing with intermittent harvesting on BC yield and properties.
• To identify genetic and metabolic adaptations in bacteria under these conditions.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a prolonged static culturing strategy with intermittent harvesting.
• Performed mechanical and structural analyses on the produced BC.
• Conducted genomic and untargeted metabolomic profiling of bacterial strains.
• Isolated and characterized a high-yield mutant strain (M2).

Main Results:

• Achieved up to a threefold increase in BC biomass within 35 days.
• Identified a mutant strain (M2) with higher yields and altered BC architecture.
• Observed increased crystallinity and stiffness in BC from sequential harvesting.
• Discovered mutations (e.g., in RelA/SpoT) and metabolic changes (fatty acid metabolites) related to bacterial adaptation.

Conclusions:

• Intermittent harvesting is a promising strategy for sustainable and efficient BC production.
• Bacterial adaptation, driven by genetic and metabolic changes, plays a key role in enhancing BC yield and properties.
• This approach offers potential for developing tailored biomaterials.