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High-Throughput Screening of Cyanobacterial PHB Production Using Fluorescence-Based Detection
Artai Lage Julià1, Beatriz Altamira-Algarra1, Joan Garcia1,2
1GEMMA-Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain.
Microbial Biotechnology
|June 4, 2026
Summary
Cyanobacteria can produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a bioplastic. Optimal conditions for PHB production in Synechocystis and Leptolyngbya were identified and successfully scaled up in photobioreactors.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms with potential for bioplastic production.
- Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biodegradable polymer synthesized by various bacteria, including cyanobacteria.
- Efficient and scalable methods for PHB production are crucial for sustainable bioplastic manufacturing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To screen and identify optimal conditions for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production in different cyanobacterial strains.
- To evaluate the potential of Synechocystis sp., Leptolyngbya sp., and a co-culture for PHB accumulation.
- To validate the identified optimal conditions through scale-up experiments in photobioreactors.
Main Methods:
- High-throughput screening using multi-well plates and Nile blue fluorescence for rapid PHB estimation.
- Testing various conditions including nitrogen depletion, darkness, temperature, and acetate supplementation.
- Scale-up validation in 1-L photobioreactors to assess PHB yield under optimized conditions.
Main Results:
- Nile blue fluorescence enabled faster PHB estimation compared to gas chromatography.
- Optimal conditions for PHB accumulation were identified as nitrogen depletion, darkness, 30°C, and acetate supplementation after glycogen accumulation.
- Successful scale-up yielded 7% PHB dry cell weight (dcw) for Synechocystis sp. and 13% PHB dcw for Leptolyngbya sp.
Conclusions:
- High-throughput screening is an effective method for optimizing PHB production conditions in cyanobacteria.
- Leptolyngbya sp. shows significant potential for PHB accumulation.
- A dedicated glycogen pre-accumulation step is not necessary for efficient PHB synthesis directly from acetate in these cyanobacteria.
