Name : M Fauzan R

Class : QE
SIN : 155100501111005

Biodegradable Plastic

A product that could benefit greatly from innovative biotechnology is paper. Much of the
cost and considerable pollution involved in the paper-making process is caused by 'krafting', a
method for removing lignin from the wood substrate. Lignin is the second most abundant
polymer in nature after cellulose and provides structural stability to plants. In view of the
significant economic benefits that might be achieved, many research efforts went into reducing
the amount of lignin or modifying lignin structure in trees, while preserving their growth and
structural integrity. Genetically modified trees with these properties already exist, but money will
probably not be made from them anytime soon. Although the paper industry could make a
considerable profit by reducing production costs, no large projects in this direction have yet been
undertaken. Alain Boudet, Professor at the Centre for Vegetable Biotechnology at the University
Paul Sabatier (Castanet-Tolosan, France), identified two major roadblocks for the
commercialization of transgenic wood. First of all, trees with altered lignin will need more tests
on their actual field performance outside the laboratory before being widely used, he explained.
Secondly, and with much more difficulty, it will be necessary to conquer the public's acceptance
to yet new transgenic organisms and to the distribution of products deriving from them.
The discovery and chemical identification, in the 1920s, of the aliphatic polyester:
poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, as a granular component in bacterial cells proceeded without any
of the controversies which marked the recognition of macromolecules by Staudinger. Some thirty
years after its discovery, PHB was recognized as the prototypical biodegradable thermoplastic to
solve the waste disposal challenge. The development effort led by Imperial Chemical Industries
Ltd., encouraged interdisciplinary research from genetic engineering and biotechnology to the
study of enzymes involved in biosynthesis and biodegradation. From the simple PHB
homopolyester discovered by Maurice Lemoigne in the mid-twenties, a family of over 100
different aliphatic polyesters of the same general structure has been discovered. Depending on
bacterial species and substrates, these high molecular weight stereoregular polyesters have

emerged as a new family of natural polymers ranking with nucleic acids, polyamides,
polyisoprenoids, polyphenols, polyphosphates, and polysaccharides. In this historical review, the
chemical, biochemical and microbial highlights are linked to personalities and locations involved
with the events covering a discovery timespan of 75 years.
Currently used plastics are mostly produced from petrochemical products, but there is a
growing demand for eco-friendly plastics. The use of bio-based plastics, which are produced
from renewable resources, and biodegradable plastics, which are degraded in the environment,
will lead to a more sustainable society and help us solve global environmental and waste
management problems.