A review on recovery of proteins from industrial wastewaters with special emphasis on PHA production process: Sustainable circular bioeconomy process development

The economy of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production process could be supported by utilising the different by-products released simultaneously during its production. Among these, proteins are present in high concentrations in liquid stream which are released after the cell disruption along with PHA granules. These microbial proteins can be used as animal feed, adhesive material and in manufacturing of bioplastics. The recycling of the protein containing liquid stream also serves as a promising approach to maintain circular bioeconomy in the route. For this aim, it is important to obtain good yield and limit the drawbacks of protein recovery processes and associated costs. The review focuses on recycling of the liquid stream generated during acid/thermal-alkali treatment for PHA production that would close the gap in linear economy and attain circularity in the process. Examples to recover proteins from other industrial waste streams along with their applications have also been discussed.