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Abstract In this review, we focus on how purple non-sulfur bacteria can be leveraged for sustainable bioproduction to support the circular economy. We discuss the state of the field with respect to the use of purple bacteria for energy production, their role in wastewater treatment, as a fertilizer, and as a chassis for bioplastic production. We explore their ability to serve as single-cell protein and production platforms for fine chemicals from waste materials. We also introduce more Avant-Garde technologies that leverage the unique metabolisms of purple bacteria, including microbial electrosynthesis and co-culture. These technologies will be pivotal in our efforts to mitigate climate change and circularize the economy in the next two decades. One-sentence summaryPurple non-sulfur bacteria are utilized for a range of biotechnological applications, including the production of bio-energy, single cell protein, fertilizer, bioplastics, fine chemicals, in wastewater treatment and in novel applications like co-cultures and microbial electrosynthesis.
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3D-bioprinted marine bacteria for the degradation of bioplastics
The severe, long-lasting harm caused by plastic pollution to marine ecosystems and coastal economies has led to the development of biodegradable plastics; however, their limited decomposition in cold, dark marine environments remains a challenge. Here, we present our newly developed technologies for creating 3D-bioprinted living materials for bioplastic degradation with specific use in marine environments. Our approach integrates halotolerant bioplastic-degrading bacteriumBacillussp. NRRL B-14911 into alginate-based bio-ink to print an engineered living material (ELM) termed a “bio-sticker.” Quantification of bacteria viability reveals that bioprinted marine bacteria survive within bio-stickers for more than three weeks. The rate at which the bio-stickers degrade the bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) can be tuned by altering bio-sticker biomass concentration, bioplastic concentration, or incubation temperature. Bio-stickers that are transferred to a new PHB sample still retain high biodegradation activity, demonstrating their durability. Strain sweep oscillatory tests demonstrate viscoelastic behavior of the bio-stickers. Monotonic tensile tests indicate that the elastic modulus and the adhesion of the bio-stickers are not negatively impacted by bacteria growth or incubation temperature. Our work paves the way for development of ELMs to facilitate the inclusion of bioplastics within the blue economy, promoting the emergence of more sustainable and eco-friendly materials.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2230641
- PAR ID:
- 10660629
- Publisher / Repository:
- bioRxiv
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Posted Content:
- https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.05.636490
