【Technology overview】
In response to climate change and the depletion of petrochemical resources, global efforts are underway to implement policies aiming to reduce the usage of conventional plastics. Simultaneously, there is a growing push to increase the demand for bioplastics, with the goal of enhancing the economic viability of biodegradable plastics and decreasing reliance on petrochemical resources. Among various types of bioplastic, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), with over 150 different types, have material properties similar to traditional petrochemical plastics. They can serve as sustainable alternatives to petrochemical plastics. Due to their biocompatibility and biodegradable properties, PHAs are recognized as one of the few marine biodegradable bioplastics at this stage. With the trend of marine plastic pollution becoming more and more serious, PHAs are regarded as the key development for the growth of the next generation of bioplastics market. Currently, the predominant method for synthesizing PHAs is mainly through microbial fermentation. However, the fermentation process requires procedures such as cultivation of dominant species, carbon source supply, sterilization, extraction, and purification, which leads to excessive fabrication costs and thus limits its application. In view of this, in order to increase the PHAs yield and reduce the fermentation cost, NARI utilizes high-throughput screening technology to develop superior strains for PHAs fabrication, integrating fermentation design and control strategies, thereby establishing research in PHAs fermentation technology. The ultimate goal is to make the developed PHAs fabrication technology competitive in the market.
【Technical applications】
NARI has established comprehensive infrastructures, including strain resources, high-throughput screening platforms, a micro-fermenter, and a ton-scale fermentation test plant. Considering parameters such as strain cultivation time, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen levels, NARI has successfully completed ton-scale fermentation pilot tests through batch fermentation or fed-batch fermentation. In the current stage, the focus of technological development has shifted towards the use of low-cost and diverse feedstocks, the enhancement of strain fabrication efficiency, the use of all inorganic salt, and optimizing fermentation strategies. These efforts aim to achieve the goal of cost reduction, thereby increasing the willingness of manufacturers to invest. Through fed-batch fermentation, the laboratory-scale fermentation conditions have been scaled-up to the ton-scale, achieving an accumulation of over 70% PHAs of the cell dry weight. The established capability and experience in scaling up PHAs fermentation serve as a foundation for the research and development of scaleup fabrication for other PHAs strains. This contributes to the enhancement of the industrial biotechnology platform for the fabrication process of marine-degradable plastic PHAs in Taiwan.
Figure 1. Equipment for mini pilot plant and ton-scale fermentation pilot plant
【Future prospects】
In line with the development of net-zero technologies to reduce fossil fuel dependence and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, NARI's R&D focuses on PHAs biomaterial process technology and its high-value applications. In the future, there will be continuous efforts to improve the efficiency of PHAs-producing bacterial strains and develop non-toxic PHAs extraction and purification processes. NARI aims to create a novel blue ocean for environmentally sustainable PHA green materials by developing diverse products tailored to the specific characteristics of different types of PHAs.
By integrating intellectual property rights and establishing industrial promotion, NARI aims to advance the verification of pilot-scale fabrication for PHAs biodegradable plastics, demonstrate product applications, and assess the benefits of industrial applications. Therefore, it not only enhances the competitiveness of domestically developed PHAs fabrication technologies but also helps to improve the domestic biomaterials industry chain. It facilitates the upgrading of downstream industries in the domestic bio-plastics industry, while simultaneously exploring emerging bio-industries. This contributes to improvement of the carbon reduction benefits, operational resilience, and international competitiveness of export-oriented industries or those within international supply chains. Ultimately, it aids industries in achieving their transformation goals and implementing carbon reduction objectives.
Figure 2. PHAs core technology and key application project
【Contact information】
Name: Chung-Mao Ou
Tel: 886-3-4711400 Ext. 5061
E-mail：ouchungmao@nari.org.tw |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
