Micro-scale processing and characterization of biopolymers

生物聚合物的微尺度加工和表征

• 批准号: 435646-2013
• 负责人: Latulippe, David
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: McMaster University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=574135
• 关键词: Micro; scale; processing; characterization; biopolymers

There is significant interest in using biopolymers as functional materials in many different industries. For example, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are naturally occurring polyester molecules produced by bacteria that have comparable material properties to conventional synthetic polymers such as polypropylene but have the advantage of being fully biodegradable. Nucleic acid aptamers are functional molecules that can be used as biomarkers in clinical health trials to monitor the effectiveness of different treatment strategies. However, there are a number of engineering and economic challenges associated with the production of biopolymers that have limited their more widespread use. For example, due to the higher production costs, PHAs cannot compete with synthetic polymers. A significant portion of that cost is related to the 'downstream processing' steps that are designed to isolate and purify the polymer. Thus, the objective of the proposed research is to address the practical problems associated with biopolymer purification by developing new bioprocesses that are cheaper and better than current technologies. Microscale processing techniques use miniaturized devices that mimic lab-scale equipment. Because they can be automated and multiplexed to enable high-throughput screening, they are viewed as a powerful method to accelerate bioprocess development. Due to advanced regulatory expectations and increasing cost scrutiny, the biotechnology industry is rapidly adopting the use of these high-throughput tools. This work will focus on two specific research areas. The first is the development of microscale filtration processes for screening microbially produced biopolymers. The second is the development of monolith-based capillary columns for the discovery of nucleic acid aptamers. The microscale processing techniques that will be developed in this work will have significant commercial potential and may form the basis for new entrepreneurial ventures with Canadian companies.

在许多不同的工业中，人们对使用生物聚合物作为功能材料有很大的兴趣。例如，聚羟基烷酸酯（PHAs）是由细菌产生的天然聚酯分子，具有与传统合成聚合物（如聚丙烯）相当的材料特性，但具有完全可生物降解的优点。核酸适体是一种功能分子，可作为生物标志物用于临床健康试验，监测不同治疗策略的有效性。然而，与生物聚合物生产相关的一些工程和经济挑战限制了其更广泛的应用。例如，由于生产成本较高，pha无法与合成聚合物竞争。该成本的很大一部分与“下游处理”步骤有关，该步骤旨在分离和纯化聚合物。因此，拟议研究的目的是通过开发比现有技术更便宜和更好的新生物工艺来解决与生物聚合物纯化相关的实际问题。