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Biosynthesis of Polymers

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Polymeric Nanomaterials

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Synonyms

Bacterial cellulose; Bacterial polyester

Definition

Some bacteria produce polymeric compounds such as polyesters and cellulose that can be used as useful biobased materials.

General Introduction

Bacteria can synthesize a wide range of biopolymers that serve diverse biological functions and have material properties applicable for numerous industrial and medical uses. These biopolymers can be efficiently converted from different renewable carbon. When bacterial polymers are required to compete with petroleum-based polymers, the cost of production is a crucial parameter. However, biopolymers derived from natural resources have a competitive advantage, owing to their sustainable production from renewable resources, their biodegradability, and, often, their biocompatibility. Here, the two representative natural polymers, polyhydroxyalkanoate and bacterial cellulose, are briefly introduced as valuable renewable products with respect to their biosynthesis and properties. A better...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biotechnology and Macromolecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, 060-8628, Sapporo, Kita-ku, Japan

    Ken’ichiro Matsumoto, Kenji Tajima & Seiichi Taguchi

Authors
  1. Ken’ichiro Matsumoto
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  2. Kenji Tajima
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  3. Seiichi Taguchi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ken’ichiro Matsumoto .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Fiber and Textile Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

    Shiro Kobayashi

  2. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany

    Klaus Müllen

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Matsumoto, K., Tajima, K., Taguchi, S. (2015). Biosynthesis of Polymers. In: Kobayashi, S., Müllen, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Polymeric Nanomaterials. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29648-2_393

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