Analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoates production by Ralstonia eutropha strains evolved to the use of glycerol

• Grant number: 19/04549-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2019
• End date: October 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: José Gregório Cabrera Gomez
• Grantee: Luiza Amado de Pauli
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are polyesters produced by several bacteria that arouse great industrial interest because they have thermoplastic properties. Glycerol has become an abundant carbon source for bioprocesses as it is generated as waste in the biodiesel production process. Ralstonia eutropha is the most studied bacterium for the production of PHA, however, wild-type strains of R. eutropha are deficient in the use of glycerol as the only carbon source. In recent work (unpublished data), R. eutropha strains capable of using glycerol as the only carbon source for the production of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) were developed by evolutionary engineering. In this project, we intend to compare the efficiency of wild-type and evolved R. eutropha strains for glycerol use as the only carbon source and its impact on PHA production. The production capacity of the polymer by negative PHA mutant strain expressing PHA synthase genes will also be studied. Additionally, the potential of R. eutropha strains in producing P3HB-co-3HAMCL-type copolymers will be evaluated.