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Could algae be a game-changer for sustainable plastics? Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a method to enhance the ability of cyanobacteria — a type of freshwater algae — to produce a key component in creating sustainable plastics: citramalate. This breakthrough demonstrates how photosynthetic microorganisms can convert CO2 into valuable materials, offering a promising eco-friendly alternative to plastics typically made from fossil fuels.
SOUND SMART- What is cyanobacteria? Cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae, are photosynthetic bacteria found naturally in freshwater environments. When excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen accumulate in warm water, they can trigger the growth of cyanobacterial blooms. While cyanobacteria play an important ecological role under normal conditions, their overgrowth can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and pose risks to water quality and human health.
The details: Despite these algae’s bio-potential, they are yet to be used on an industrial scale due to growth and efficiency challenges. However, Manchester University’s team’s research has increased the optimization of the organism’s carbon conversion capabilities, achieving a remarkable 23-fold increase in citramalate production. Researchers highlighted the need to carry out more experiments to test scaling production while maintaining high optimization rates, as well as exploring more optimization pathways that could support the use of the organism for other sustainable ventures.
Other potential sustainable use: Apart from plastics, the cyanobacteria method could be used to create a wide range of eco-friendly materials. Pyruvate and acetyl-CoA, the key components involved in citramalate production, can be used to create many other important biomolecules, the technique can contribute to the production of biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and other sustainable materials.
