Ebook: Novel Biodegradable Microbial Polymers

The NATO Advanced Research Workshop from which this book derives was conceived during Biotec-88, the Second Spanish Conference on Biotechnology, held at Barcelona in June 1988. The President of the Conference, Dr. Ricardo Guerrero, had arranged sessions on bacterial polymers which included lectures by five invited participants who, together with Dr. Guerrero, became the Organizing Committee for a projected meeting that would focus attention upon the increasing international importance of novel biodegradable polymers. The proposal found favour with the NATO Science Committee and, with Dr. R. Clinton Fuller and Dr. Robert W. Lenz as the co-Directors, Dr. Edwin A. Dawes as the Proceedings Editor, and Dr. Hans G. Schlegel, Dr. Alexander J.B. Zehnder and Dr. Ricardo Guerrero as members of the Organizing Committee, the meeting quickly took shape. To Dr. Guerrero we owe the happy choice of Sitges for the venue, a pleasant coastal resort 36 kilometres from Barcelona, which proved ideal. The sessions were held at the Palau de Maricel in appropriately impressive surroundings, and invaluable local support was provided by Mr. Jordi Mas-Castella and by Ms. Merce Piqueras. Much of the preparatory work fell upon the broad shoulders of Mr. Edward Knee, whose efforts are deeply appreciated. The Organizing Committee hopes that this Workshop will prove to be the first of a series which will aim to keep abreast of a rapidly expanding and exciting area of research that is highly relevant to environmental and industrial interests.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Novel Microbial Polymers: An Introductory Overview....Pages 3-16
Front Matter....Pages 17-17
Chairman’s Introductory Remarks Bacterial Polyesters: Past, Present and Future....Pages 19-21
Functionalized Poly-?-Hydroxyalkanoates Produced by Bacteria....Pages 23-35
Microstructure of Bacterial Poly(?-Hydroxybutyrate-co-?-Hydroxyvalerate) by Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Their Partial Degradation Products....Pages 37-48
Pilot scale production of PHB with Alcaligenes latus....Pages 49-64
Front Matter....Pages 65-70
Physical Properties of Poly(Hydroxybutyrate) and Poly(Hydroxybutyrate-Co-Hydroxyvalerate)....Pages 71-71
Properties of Poly-?-Hydroxyalkanoate Latex: Nascent Morphology, Film Formation and Surface Chemistry....Pages 73-80
Industrial Production of Copolymer from Alcaligenes Eutrophus....Pages 81-96
The Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Unrelated Carbon Sources....Pages 97-112
Front Matter....Pages 113-117
Genetic and Molecular Analysis of the Alcaligenes Eutrophus Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Biosynthetic Genes and Accumulation of PHA in Recombinant Bacteria....Pages 119-129
Bacterial Poly(3-Hydroxyalkanoates)....Pages 131-131
Molecular Characterization of the Poly-?-Hydroxybutyrate Biosynthetic Pathway of Alcaligenes Eutrophus H16....Pages 133-141
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB): A Model System for Biopolymer Engineering: II....Pages 143-159
Front Matter....Pages 161-173
Some Possible Roles of Polyphosphate in Microorganisms....Pages 175-190
The Physiological Role of Inorganic Polyphosphates in Microorganisms: Some Evolutionary Aspects....Pages 191-202
Accumulation of Polyphosphate by Acinetobacter Sp.: Physiolo­gy, Ecology, and Application....Pages 203-203
Front Matter....Pages 205-211
Environmental Control of Sulfur Deposition in Anoxygenic Purple and Green Sulfur Bacteria....Pages 213-221
Polyhydroxyalkanoate Accumulation in Planktonic and Anaerobic Environments....Pages 223-233
Front Matter....Pages 235-243
Solution and Gelling Properties of Microbial Polysaccharides of Industrial Interest : The Case of Gellan....Pages 245-245
Genetic Analyses and Manipulations of Rhizobium meliloti Exopolysaccharides....Pages 247-262
A Novel Exopolysaccharide from a Filamentous Cyanobacterium: Production, Chemical Characterization and Rheological Properties....Pages 263-274
Physiology of Exopolysaccharide Production....Pages 275-275
Front Matter....Pages 277-284
Structural Diversity and Functional Versatility of Polysaccharides....Pages 285-294
Relation between Molecular Structure and Physicochemical Properties for Some Microbial Polysaccharides....Pages 295-310
Structure of Microbial Polysaccharides Using X-Ray Diffraction....Pages 311-330
Recent Developments in Rhizobium Polysaccharides....Pages 331-331
Front Matter....Pages 333-348
Panel Discussion: University, Industry and Government — Future Directions and Priorities in Research and Development....Pages 349-370
Front Matter....Pages 371-386
Poly(Malic Acid), A Functional Poly(?-Hydroxy Acid)-Type Polyester Available from Chemical and Biological Synthesis....Pages 387-402
The Degradation of Shampoo Bottles in a Lake....Pages 403-403
Production of Poly-B-Hydroxybutyrate by Azotobacter Vinelandii UWD in Beet Molasses Culture at High Aeration....Pages 405-415
Halobacteria as Producers of Poly-?-Hydroxyalkanoates....Pages 417-417
Acetone as a Substrate for Poly- ? -Hydroxybutyrate Production by Phototrophic Purple Bacteria....Pages 419-420
Poly-?-Hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Accumulation in Rhizobium Meliloti Affected in the Dicarboxylate Transport (DCT) Genes....Pages 421-422
Production of Poly-3-Hydroxyalkanoates by P. Putida During Growth on Long-Chain Fatty Acids....Pages 423-424
Front Matter....Pages 425-426
Formation of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) by wild type and recombinant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other fluorescent pseudomonads....Pages 427-430
Yield Study of the Poly(Beta-Hydroxyalkanoate) Produced by Pseudomonas Oleovorans Grown on Sodium Octanoate....Pages 431-434
Production and Characterization of Poly(3-Hydroxyalkanoates)....Pages 435-438
Front Matter....Pages 439-440
Poly(Glutamic Acid) Produced by Bacterial Fermentation....Pages 441-444
Front Matter....Pages 417-417
Role of Counterions on Gellan Properties....Pages 445-446
Polysaccharides, Modified Polysaccharides and Polysaccharide Blends for Biodegradable Materials....Pages 447-448
Degradation Kinetics of Polymer Films in Marine and Soil Systems under Accelerated Conditions....Pages 449-450
Bioconversion of Pentosans to Heteropolysaccharides....Pages 451-452
Back Matter....Pages 453-454
....Pages 455-455