Progress in the Development and Use of a Named Biopolymer

Chemistry PAT Question 1 Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biopolymer with properties very(prenominal) uniform to that of polypropylene, though has all the benefits that come with biopolymers. PHB was first introduced to the scientific biotic community by the scientist Maurice Lemoigne in 1926. He fall out away that to produce PHB you cl find particular micro-organisms such(prenominal) as Alcaligenes Eutrophus or Bacilius megaterium undergoing physiological centering in an apparatus such as an agar supply to allow the micro-organisms to multiply. In direct to achieve this stress in that location is a travail to the amount of nitrogen the micro-organisms can take a wetting thereby altering its nutrition. This is quite an efficient method of tackle and the amount of the PHB polymer yielded is around 30-80% of the change weight of the micro-organisms used. Even though this method is efficient it is still not quite economically viable as there is the high cost of victi misation the agar solution, petri dishes and the removal of the nitrogen. More recently as this biopolymers authority to society has become more prominent, scientists are trying to find more efficient and sustainable means to produce it. In 1992 the idea of using genetically modified plants to produce PHB was positive at Michigan State University.

By using the genes from 2 bacteria producing organisms such as Alcaligenes Eutrophus, they could insert them into cress plants with the excogitation of these plants producing the PHB. This process worked and the plants and some of their offspring produced around 14% of the change weight a s PHB. Although this is not as high mete o! ut as when it is produced in the petri dishes, it is a much more economically viable method of production and hence would give a much more substantial impact to society. Chemically PHB is from a group of biopolymers known as the polyhyroxyalkanoates. Figure 1 on a lower floor shows other examples of biopolymers in this group. These types of biopolymers are all biodegradable plastics give them quite a high demand...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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