Fermentation and strain development for the manufacturing of novel, high-performance, compostable and recyclable hetero-aromatic bioplastic monomers for the packaging industry (BioMonoMet)

自20世纪50年代以来，全球估计产生了83亿吨塑料废物（Science，2017），其中约80%留在垃圾填埋场或松散在环境中。全球塑料生产和处置的温室气体排放量是航空旅行的两倍多（自然气候变化，2019）。根据目前的需求，石油基塑料的生产速度约为3.5亿吨/年。虽然有用，但它们的开发重点是功能，而不是报废性能及其对环境的影响。回收本身并不能完全解决“塑料问题”。这些因素包括成本、食品污染、聚合物降解和环境泄漏。生物基和可生物降解塑料是解决方案的重要组成部分。该项目将解锁英国新型平台生物单体的生产，并致力于通过与现有商业客户的合作，从Biome目前的研究中提高新型生物塑料规模化所需的生产率。该项目的主要工作包将集中在扩大这些单体的生产，通过菌株工程和发酵优化，为大规模可行的商业生物塑料生产提供技术经济可行的滴度。该项目的成果将致力于解锁一系列新的可持续和可生物降解材料的商业部署，这些材料可以促进英国到2025年实现70%的塑料包装有效回收或堆肥的目标。以真实的方式减少塑料的环境负担，同时提高英国（生物）经济的生产力和增长。

An estimated 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste has been generated globally since the 1950s (Science, 2017) of which approximately 80% remains in landfill or loose in the environment. Global greenhouse gas emissions from the production and disposal of plastics is more than double that of air travel (Nature Climate Change, 2019).In line with current demand, oil-based plastics are produced at a rate of ~350mtpa. While useful, they have been developed focusing on function than end-of-life performance and their environmental impact.Recycling alone is not the complete answer to the “plastics problem”. These include cost, food contamination, polymer degradation and environmental leakage. Bio-based and biodegradable plastics are an important part of the solution.This project will unlock the UK based production of novel platform biomonomers and work towards increasing productivities required for the scale-up of novel bioplastics from Biome’s current research in partnership with existing commercial customers.The main work packages of this project will focus on scaling up production of these monomers, through strain engineering and fermentation optimisation, to yield techno economically feasible titres for viable commercial bioplastics production at scale. The project’s outcome will work towards unlocking the commercial deployment of a new range of sustainable and biodegradable materials that can contribute to the UK’s goal of 70% of plastics packaging effectively recycled or composted by 2025. Reducing in real terms the environmental burden of plastics whilst increasing productivity and growth for the wider UK (bio)economy.