Development and characterisation of polyhydroxybutyrate from selected bacterial species

Bagheriasl, Soroosh (2013). Development and characterisation of polyhydroxybutyrate from selected bacterial species. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

Preview

Bagheriasl13PhD1.pdf
PDF - Redacted Version
Download (5MB)

Abstract

In this study Serratia sp. NCIMB 40259 and R. eutropha H16 were utilised for the accumulation of Polyhydroxybutyrate(PHB). Serratia sp. with high phosphatase activity (HPA)or low phosphatase activity (LPA) were fermented in order to accumulate intracellular PHB and biomineralise hydroxyapatite (HA) on the cell surface. The optimum conditions for the accumulation of PHB, in this study, were found to be after 216 h fermentation, producing a PHB yield of 14.6 %w/w and 3.3 %w/w for LPA and HPA respectively. The molecular and thermal properties of PHB were observed to be largely unaffected by the phosphatase activity of the cells and appeared to be dependent on the fermentation period. R. eutropha cells were fermented with the substrates olive oil and rapeseed oil and compared with glucose. The use of either olive oil or rapeseed oil as carbon sources resulted in the greatest accumulation of PHB. The thermal and molecular properties of the PHB samples were found to be almost identical. The use of oils in the production of PHB would make a viable replacement for the use of sugars as substrates. Electrospun fibres of PHB from glucose, olive oil and rapeseed oil were found to have diameters dependant on their solution concentrations. By adjusting the electrospinning parameters it may be possible to control the crystallinity and the diameters the PHB fibres.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):