Washington, March 17 (ANI): New biotechnological and chemical methods will facilitate efficient production of chemicals, materials and fuels from renewable natural resources, such as agricultural or industrial waste materials, say researchers.

The Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence (CoE) in White Biotechnology - Green Chemistry Research is focusing on the research and development of microbial cells, or cell factories, for producing new useful compounds from sugars in plant biomass.

These compounds can be used, for example, for manufacturing bioplastics or in medical applications.

"By means of gene technology, we can modify microbial metabolism and thereby produce organic acids for a wide range of industrial applications. They can be used, among other things, for manufacturing new plastic and textile materials, or packaging technologies," explained Merja Penttila, Research Professor and Director of the Centre of Excellence from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

New methods play a key role when various industries are developing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient production processes.

Use of renewable natural resources, such as agricultural or industrial waste materials, to replace oil-based raw materials will make industries less dependent of fossil raw materials and, consequently, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

The CoE also develops highly sensitive measuring methods and investigates microbial cell functions at molecular level.

"We need this information to be able to develop efficient bioprocesses for the future. For instance, we build up new micro- and nanoscale instruments for measuring and controlling microbial productivity in bioreactors during production," said Penttila.

The metabolism of microbes is modified so that they will convert plant biomass sugars into sugar acids and their derivatives.

These compounds can potentially serve as raw materials for new types of polyesters, whose properties - such as water solubility and extremely rapid degradation into natural substances - can be used, for example, in medicine.

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Soon, gene technology to produce novel plastics and textiles from waste