Microbial Degradation Of Polyesters

This is the first book to present a topical overview of the research and development of microbial polyesters. Comprehensive and amply illustrated, it covers the * biosynthesis * structure * properties * applications of these biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastics. The book provides the reader with the necessary background to understand the nature and mechanism of biological polymerization. It unites aspects from both the biological and polymer sciences and is a typical modern example of the analysis of biological macromolecules.

Living systems synthesize seven different classes of polymers. They provide structure and form for cells and organisms, function as catalysts and energy storage and carry the genetic information. All these polymers possess technically interesting properties. Some of these biopolymers are already used commercially. This special volume of Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology comprises 10 chapters. It gives an overview of the water insoluble biopolyesters, in particular of the microbially synthesized poly-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family. It reports the state of the art of metabolism, regulation and genetic background, the latest advances made in genetic optimization of bacteria, "construction" of transgenic plants and in vitro synthesis by means of purified enzymes. Furthermore, it describes relevant technologies and evaluates perspectives concerning increasing the economic viability and competitiveness of PHA and discusses applications in medicine, packaging, food and other fields.

This is the first book to present a topical overview of the research and development of microbial polyesters. Comprehensive and amply illustrated, it covers the * biosynthesis * structure * properties * applications of these biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastics. The book provides the reader with the necessary background to understand the nature and mechanism of biological polymerization. It unites aspects from both the biological and polymer sciences and is a typical modern example of the analysis of biological macromolecules.

A comprehensive and consolidated account of how microorganisms can play a significant role in degrading and detoxifying toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic compounds is detailed in this book. Moreover, the volume deals with all aspects of microbial degradation, ranging from screening methods for the degradative microorganisms, processes of degradation, strain improvement for enhanced biodegradation, and elimination of undesirable compounds to improving health and environmental protection strategies. The book will provide an opportunity for scientists in the areas of microbiology, biochemistry, engineering, food science, biotechnology, and environmental science to obtain a clear understanding of microbial biotransformations of xenobiotics, as well as an interface between industry and the academic world. The first book of its kind, it will open new vistas of research in the field of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology in general, and Biotransformations in particular.

Microbes play a major role in the degradation of various pollutants. Therefore, microbes find potential application in the area of energy and environmental technology. The book provides in-depth literature on the topics of environmental and industrial importance. It is compiled to explore the application of microbe used in the degradation of aflatoxin, polymers, biomass into fuel, disinfectants, food products, xenobiotic compounds, lipids, steroids, organic pollutants, proteins, oil waste, and wastewater pollutants. This book will be of interest to teachers, researchers, scientists, and capacity builders. Also, the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of microbiology and environmental sciences. National and international remediation and restoration scientists, policymakers will also find this to be a useful read.

Our interest in the microbial biodegradation of xenobiotics has increased many folds in recent years to find out sustainable ways for environmental cleanup. Bioremediation and biotransformation processes harness the naturally occurring ability of microbes to degrade, transform or accumulate a wide range of organic pollutants. Major methodological breakthroughs in recent years through detailed genomic, metagenomic, proteomic, bioinformatic and other high-throughput analyses of environmentally relevant microorganisms have provided us unprecedented insights into key biodegradative pathways and the ability of organisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The degradation of a wide spectrum of organic pollutants and wastes discharged into the environment by anthropogenic activities is an emerging need today to promote sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Microbial processes play a major role in the removal of recalcitrant compounds taking advantage of the astonishing catabolic versatility of microorganisms to degrade or transform such compounds. New breakthroughs in sequencing, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and imaging are generating vital information which opens a new era providing new insights of metabolic and regulatory networks, as well as clues to the evolution of degradation pathways and to the molecular adaptation strategies to changing environmental conditions. Functional genomic and metagenomic approaches are increasing our understanding of the relative importance of different pathways and regulatory networks to carbon flux in particular environments and for particular compounds. New approaches will certainly accelerate the development of bioremediation technologies and biotransformation processes in coming years for natural attenuation of contaminated environments