Prof. Shijie Liu

Keynote speech title: Recyclable Biodegradable Bioplastics PHA Production from Woody Biomass

Abstract:Polyhydroxylbutyrate (PHB) is one of the important Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) that are a promising alternative to conventional, fossil fuel derived plastics. Plastic is placing a burden on the environment by polluting ecosystems, overwhelming landfills, using finite oil resources, and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. PHAs are polyesters created by microorganisms intracellularly under limited nutrient growth conditions as carbon and energy storage compounds. PHAs are not yet widely accepted and produced because of their high production costs, specifically the carbon source and recovery method, compared to those of petroleum based plastics. In addition, present technology in recovery PHA is not environmentally friendly, leading to whether PHA is a sustainable bioproduct. This presentation shows some of our research efforts in utilizing renewable carbon source. Woody biomass was hydrolyzed to produce a sugar mixture. The hydrolysate can be fermented to produce hydroxybutyric acid. Butyric acid can be polymerized to produce PHB. The production of butyric acid and polymerization to PHB enables the desired biodegradable plastics to be recyclable.