Materials News

The yeast way to bioplastics

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Gross and his team devised a new way to produce these monomers by using a genetically modified strain of Candida tropicalis, one of the many types of yeast that live harmlessly in humans and animals. The engineered yeast is capable of converting fatty acids of plant oils into large quantities of omega-hydroxyfatty acids. When polymerised, the new material may be a suitable substitute for petroleum derived plastics such as PE for uses such as disposable gloves and multi-layer food packaging films.

Furthermore, the new bioplastic is highly resistant to moisture, which is an important improvement over currently sold bioplastics such as polylactic acid and starch-based plastics.

The above findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society recently.

Gross's company, SyntheZyme, was tapped by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop this bioplastic. The material was originally intended to serve a dual purpose: as packaging material in the solid state and as a biodiesel for military engines after being broken back down or de-polymerised to monomer units. The material development and performance in the solid state has been successfully completed; research into converting the plastic to diesel is currently under way.

SyntheZyme is a member of the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy, a new-business accelerator for clean technology and renewable energy companies in New York. Based in the first New York City-sponsored business incubator, NYC ACRE is operated by NYU-Poly and receives support from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.