Microbial production of poly-β-hydroxybutyrates - an overview

Efficient poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production represents an actual preoccupation of fundamental research from current biotechnology. Since PHB production out of renewable sources has a positive environmental impact and particular biotechnological applications, the study of strains with high synthesis capacity for these polymers is required. Poly-β-hydroxybutyrates production presents remarkable importance from many points of view. Firstly these substances are biodegradable, so with no negative impact on the environment. They are obtained out of carbon sources which are available and renewable, not depending on exhaustible deposits. They are biopolymers used in diverse fields: plastic materials, packages, absorbents, biomedical materials and tissue engineering materials. Being substances with a large usability great companies from diverse fields are interested in any progress regarding amelioration of PHB production. Taking into consideration the multiple uses of the biopolymers in modern biotechnologies and the medical field it is needed to deeply understand their production. Thus, this paper is a review of the most recent researches in this field.