; R o o t E n t r y F J2B C o m p O b j b W o r d D o c u m e n t H O b j e c t P o o l I2B I2B 4 @ @ A B C D E F G H I J F Microsoft Word 6.0 Document MSWordDoc Word.Document.6 ; }' ^ t |L t |D u q |H u h ~ t@ F F Pj j j j u N ~ u F Pj j j j u F Pj j j ~ u + U F P W > t >L t 6 6L 6 6J F P u F P F P ~ u Q ^MM Õ M U > t. ^ G ; 9507153 Fuller The major objective of the research project is to continue our innovative program on the study of the synthesis, material properties, containment and degradation of microbial thermoplastics. This program has involved the closely coordinated activities of three Principal Investigators, PIs, including a polymer chemist, a biochemist and a microbiologist. In the studies on the containment and degradation of poly-(-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), the inclusion bodies or PHA granules in Pseudomonas oleovorans, the bacterium of choice, have been clearly shown to contain at least five proteins, tow of which are polymerases, one a depolymerase, and two that have a unique paracrystalline array lattice-like structure. We will particularly concentrate on the structure and function of these latter two structural polypeptides. In the polymer chemistry studies on biosynthesis and materials properties studies, an extensive array of new microbial polyesters has been produced and examined, including flexible homopolymers, elastomeric and adhesive copolymers, functionalized polymers and chemically modifi ed bacterial polyesters with specific materials properties. All of these have been made available from several, biologically diverse microorganisms. In addition, emphasis will be pursued investigating the mechanisms, control processes and the enzymology of both intra- and extra-cellular PHA depolymerase enzyme systems. This research program is being supported jointly by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (Directorate fmr Biosciences) and the Division for Materials Research (Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. %%% The major objective of the research project is to continue our innovative program on the study of the synthesis, material properties, containment and degradation of microbial thermoplastics. This program has involved the closely coordinated activities of three Principal Investigators, PIs, including a polymer chemist, a biochemist and a microbiologist. In the studies on the containment and degradation of poly-(-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), the inclusion bodies or PHA granules in Pseudomonas oleovorans, the bacterium of choice, have been clearly shown to contain at least five proteins, tow of which are polymerases, one a depolymerase, and two that have a unique paracrystalline array lattice-like structure. We will particularly concentrate on the structure and function of these latter two structural polypeptides. In the polymer chemistry studies on biosynthesis and materials properties studies, an extensive array of new microbial polyesters has been produced and examined, including flexible homopolymers, elastomeric and adhesive copolymers, functionalized polymers and chemically modified bacterial polyesters with specidic materials properties. All of these have been made available from several, biologically diverse microorganisms. In addition, emphasis will be pursued investigating the mechanisms, control processes and the enzymology of both intra- and extra-cellular PHA depolymerase enzyme systems. *** ; Oh +' 0 S u m m a r y I n f o r m a t i o n ( ? $ H l D h R:WWUSERTEMPLATENORMAL.DOT Fuller, R.C. Robert Uffen Shelley A. Graves @ i> @ 1B @ W8F2B @ G Microsoft Word 6.0 2 ; e = e H j j j j j j j 1 # % % % # H
