Revolutionary Biodegradable Plastic Developed by Korean Researchers

By Cell Press
August 26, 2024
4 Mins



Researchers in Korea have engineered E. coli bacteria to produce a new type of biodegradable polymer, poly(D phenyllactate), which includes ring-like structures enhancing its rigidity and thermal stability, useful for biomedical applications like drug delivery. This innovation, which involves creating a novel metabolic pathway for the bacteria, marks a significant step towards biomanufacturing solutions to the global plastic crisis.

Bioengineers worldwide have been striving to develop microbes capable of producing plastics as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Recently, a team of researchers in Korea has made a significant breakthrough by engineering bacteria to produce polymers with ring-like structures, which enhance the rigidity and thermal stability of the resulting plastics.

Because these molecules are usually toxic to microorganisms, the researchers had to construct a novel metabolic pathway that would enable the E. coli bacteria to both produce and tolerate the accumulation of the polymer and the building blocks it is composed of.

The resulting polymer is biodegradable and has physical properties that could lend it to biomedical applications such as drug delivery, though more research is needed. The results are presented August 21 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Biotechnology, which now publishes original research in addition to review articles.

Korean researchers have bioengineered E. coli to produce a biodegradable polymer with potential biomedical applications, advancing sustainable plastic alternatives and addressing environmental challenges.

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https://scitechdaily.com/revolutionary-biodegradable-plastic-developed-by-korean-researchers/