The dawn of novel biotechnological applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates

Abstract

The synthetic polymers-plastics have been applied in a wide range of activities of our daily routine. However, extensive usage and their non-biodegradable nature have led to their accumulation in quantities, which are difficult to manage and a major cause of environmental pollution. Bacteria have the ability to accumulate Carbon (C) as biopolymers especially under stress conditions. The biopolymers-polyhydroxyalkanotes (PHAs) are biodegradable and have properties quite close to those possessed by plastics. PHAs have been explored in diverse fields including agriculture and medical. In the field of medicine, PHAs hold greater promise because of their usage in producing high value products, in addition to their biodegradable, biocompatible, and non-toxic nature. PHAs have been explored for their role as implants, drug carriers, tissue engineering, biocontrol agents, inhibitors of cancerous growth, and memory enhancing molecules.