This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is designed to apply modern bioengineering capabilities to the development of viable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics. Recent literature reports have identified a novel class of bioplastics based on the monomer, ù-hydroxyfatty acids (ù-HFAs). In addition to a variety of other interesting applications, the ù-HFA monomer can be readily polymerized into a unique family of biopolyester plastics that display properties similar to polyethylene, thus overcoming a key limitation found with other bioplastics. In order for ù-HFAs to become a viable alternative to current bioplastics, a scalable production process based on low-cost renewable feedstocks must be developed. THis SBIR project will develop a novel low-cost biological fermentation process for the large-scale production of ù-HFAs based on work we recently reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. In particular, our work represented the first demonstration of the genetic engineering of a yeast strain (in this case, Candida tropicalis) to allow for the selective and efficient enzymatic conversion of naturally-occurring fatty acid oils to their corresponding ù-HFAs.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will help to improve availability of bioplastics for broader commercial applications. Market adoption of current bioplastics has been limited due to their high production costs and their undesirable functional properties such as brittleness, high permeability, rigidity and low melting points relative to petroleum plastics. The U.S. market size for bioplastics in 2010 was approximately $350M and is currently growing at 17% per year. To date, bioplastics have been limited to niche markets such as disposable biodegradable consumer items where cost and undesirable functional properties can be offset by consumer demand for a biodegradable material. A few examples of these application areas include catering items (crockery, cutlery, bowls, etc.) and containers (bottles, cups, trays, etc.) particularly in health food stores and restaurants. New bioplastics such as ù-HFAs with improved characteristics may enable additional applications within the $106B/yr polyethylene market. The majority of plastic components we depend upon every day are comprised of non-biodegradable polyethylene, and many could benefit from being derived from sustainable, renewable and lower cost resources/feedstocks. Further, development of scalable biological production of plastics serves to reduce petroleum dependence as well as providing a flexible platform for production of next-generation materials.
The U.S. market size for bioplastics in 2010 was approximately $350M and is currently growing at 17% per year. To date, bioplastics have been limited to niche markets such as disposable biodegradable consumer items where cost and undesirable functional properties can be offset by consumer demand for a biodegradable material. A few examples of these application areas include catering items (crockery, cutlery, bowls, etc.) and containers (bottles, cups, trays, etc.) particularly in health food stores and restaurants. Other potential but untapped applications include traditional areas served by the $106B/yr polyethylene market, which provides the majority of plastic components we depend upon every day. While some of these applications may not require biodegradability, many can benefit from being derived from sustainable, renewable and lower cost resources/feedstocks. A key technical challenge to enabling the entrance of a new biopolymer to the plastics market is to deliver a product that provides a cost competitive solution with functional performance comparable to polyethylene. Functional equivalence with polyethylene in the target application is critical as the failure of multiple previous bioplastic products has demonstrated. Although most consumers state a desire to purchase and use ‘green’ products, this desire has not translated into a change in purchasing habits when the properties of the material or the cost are not comparable to petrochemical plastics. Therefore, it is critical new bioplastics can be developed using low cost, high yield production platforms. The potential impact on carbon emissions and global sustainability provided by a cost and performance comparable biodegradable bioplastic is significant. Thie SBIR project has focused on the development of a production platform of omega-hydroxy fatty acids (w-HOFAs) to address the limitations of current generation bioplastics. Our research efforts have successfully developed a suite of tools for engineering a low-cost, high-yield production platform. In addition, we have generated detailed characterization data on the properties of w-HOFA polymers which enable us to better define the potential market opportunities for this bioplastic, as well as allowing us to attract commercialization partners in the next stage of development. These outcomes from the Phase 1 program provide a strong foundation for entry into a Phase 2 program. Future work will include scaling up production of the w-HOFA plastics to provide samples to potential customers, as well as continuing to develop the low-cost production platform based on renewable feedstocks. These activities will allow us to further refine our economic model and potentially allow entry into commercial markets. In summary, this work has provided strong validation for w-HOFA plastics to be able to substitute effectively for a range of petroleum-based plastics, further demonstrating the superiority of w-HOFA plastics relative to other bioplastics. We anticipate that, with additional work, we should be able to rapidly build on these efforts to bring a renewable, biodegradeable, cost-competitive bioplastic to market.
