The ecological role of poly-hydroxybutyrate in cyanobacteria
Abstract
Circular economy and any form of sustainable society depends on the availability of renewable resources in high quantities. Agricultural production of industrial raw products is, for well known reasons, ethically questionable. Cultivation of phototrophic microorganisms (algae and cyanobacteria) does not provoke such conflicts, but is, compared with agriculture, a relatively new research segment and far less optimised. One of the promising product groups are the poly-hydroxalkanoates (PHA's), native in bacteria and cyanobacteria and, when isolated, with properties and with a usability similar to conventional plastics. Besides possibilities and limits for a biotechnological mass production, understanding the biological and ecological meaning of this natural polymer demands for investigative research. While there are already some reports for heterotrophic bacteria available, very little is known about the possible functions and interactions of PHA's in cyanobacteria. Our project conducts highly specialised methods for measurements of chemical, physical, morphological and molecular parameters with the exposure of cyanobacteria cells to favourable and unfavourable environmental conditions. Based on the collected data we expect to gain a deep insight into the cyanobacterial stress response in terms of PHA accumulation. The outcome is not only of academic interest, it is likely a valuable base for future process optimisation in cyanobacterial biotechnology.
keywords cyanobacteria poly-hydroxybutyric acid cellular stress ecology metabolism
Publikationen
Project staff
Ines Fritz
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Ines Fritz
ines.fritz@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97442
Project Leader
01.01.2019 - 31.12.2022
Christina Daffert
Christina Daffert MSc.
christina.daffert@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97450
Project Staff
01.01.2019 - 31.12.2022
Bernhard Drosg
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Bernhard Drosg
bernhard.drosg@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97462
Project Staff
01.01.2019 - 31.12.2022
Ferdinand Hummel
Dipl.-Ing. Ferdinand Hummel B.Sc.
ferdinand.hummel@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97445
Project Staff
01.06.2021 - 31.12.2021
Katharina Ludwig
Dr.nat.techn. Katharina Ludwig MSc.
katharina.ludwig@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97482
Project Staff
01.01.2019 - 31.12.2022
Antonia Josefine Zerobin
Dipl.-Ing. Antonia Josefine Zerobin
antonia.zerobin@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.01.2019 - 31.12.2022