Information on the biopolymer poly-hydroxybutanoate (PHB)

a) Describe the process by which the biopolymer is produced naming any biological and chemical agents used to produce it. Biopolymers are naturally occurring polymers. One example is poly-hydroxybutanoate (PHB). PHB can be produced in a lab by feeding bacteria a diet rich in nutrients until large colonies form and then withdrawing glucose. The bacteria immediately start secreting PHB, which provides them with an energy store. In the 1980, the three genes in Alcaligenes eutrophus needed …

…in areas where plastics should be non-biodegradable, such as in piping, it would be potentially successful for use in plastic bags and containers. For the research into PHB to be successful, it must be produced for less money than petroleum-based alternatives. At some stage in the future, as petroleum reserves decline and prices rise, the production of PHB may become economically viable and is hence a better alternative to plastics that are made from petrochemicals.