Intracellular manufacturing - high performance biomaterials from methane (2015-2017)
Abstract
The aim of this project is to produce high performance biodegradable polymers directly from methane. The key innovation is employing cutting-edge community genomic and transcriptomic approaches to characterize intracellular production lines in order to tailor polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) copolymer microstructures. This is a truly multidisciplinary project bringing together engineers, polymer scientists and molecular biologists. The direct outcome will be the first PHBV copolymer from methane. As such, the project leads to technology to produce tough, flexible and affordable biopolymers and, at the same time, opportunity to add value to methane.
