Overview

• Kobe University researchers reported bioreactor production of PDCA from glucose at concentrations more than seven times higher than previously achieved.
• Materials made with PDCA are biodegradable and exhibit physical properties comparable to or surpassing those of widely used PET.
• The metabolic design integrates nitrogen into the biosynthetic route, enabling efficient production without detectable impurities.
• A bottleneck caused by enzyme-generated hydrogen peroxide was resolved in culture by adding an H2O2-scavenging compound.
• The team says scale-up will hinge on further optimization and on managing the economic and logistical impact of the required scavenger.