How are Biopolymers and Bio-plastics Made?
There are two methods being researched and used to produce plastics from plants. The first uses fermentation and the second rely on the plant to become the factory for plastic production. These two methods are outlined below. 1. Using Fermentation to Produce Plastics Fermentation, used for hundreds of years by humans, is even more powerful when coupled with new biotechnology techniques. Fermentation is the use of microorganisms to break down organic substances in the absence of oxygen. Today, fermentation can be carried out with genetically engineered microorganisms, specially designed for the conditions under which fermentation takes place, and for the specific substance that is being broken down by the micro-organism. There are two ways fermentation can be used to create biopolymers and bio-plastics: A). Bacterial Polyester Fermentation – Bacteria are one group of microorganisms that can be used in the fermentation process. Fermentation, in fact, is the process by which bacteria can
