Valorization of lignocellulosic biomass for polyhydroxyalkanoate production: Status and perspectives

With the increasing concerns regarding climate, energy, and plastic crises, bio-based production of biodegradable polymers has become a dire necessity. Significant progress has been made in biotechnology for the production of biodegradable polymers from renewable resources to achieve the goal of zero plastic waste and a net-zero carbon bioeconomy. In this review, an overview of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) was presented. Having established LCB-based biorefinery with proper pretreatment techniques, various PHAs could be produced from LCB-derived sugars, hydrolysates, and/or aromatic mixtures employing microorganisms. This provides a clue for addressing the current environmental crises because biodegradable polymers could be produced from one of the most abundant resources that are renewable and sustainable in a carbon-neutral process. Furthermore, the potential future of LCB-to-non-natural PHA production was discussed with particular reference to non-natural PHA biosynthesis methods and LCB-derived aromatic mixture bio-funnelling systems.

Automated summary

This review provides an overview of the production of biodegradable polymers from lignocellulosic biomass (LCB). By establishing a LCB-based biorefinery with proper pretreatment techniques, various polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) can be produced from LCB-derived sugars, hydrolysates, and/or aromatic mixtures using microorganisms, offering a solution to the current environmental crises.