Plastic-Alternative Biomaterial Inspired by Ocean Microorganisms

Innovation: Industry

NewLight Technologies

2014 | Available to License

Image: Gaetano Cessati / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Chemically Break Down Organic Compounds

The vast majority of biochemical assembly and breakdown processes–even by the most complex organisms–occur within cells. In fact, cells are able to perform hundreds, even thousands of chemical transformations at the same time under life-friendly conditions (ambient temperature and pressure in an aqueous environment). Part of the reason that decomposition reactions (chemical breakdown) can occur under such mild conditions is because most often, they occur in a stepwise, enzyme-mediated fashion, sipping or releasing small amounts of energy at each step. For example, the breakdown of glucose to pyruvate–and the release of energy–occurs in the 10-step enzyme catalyzed process of glycolysis.

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Chemically Assemble Organic Compounds

Part of the reason that synthesis reactions (chemical assembly) can occur under such mild conditions as ambient temperature and pressure in water is because most often, they occur in a stepwise, enzyme-mediated fashion, sipping or releasing small amounts of energy at each step. For example, the synthesis of glucose from carbon dioxide in the Calvin cycle is a 15-step process, each step regulated by a different enzyme.

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Capture, Absorb, or Filter Gases

Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen are all gases of particular importance to living systems. Living systems obtain these gases from water and air by trapping them, absorbing them across surfaces, or filtering them. Gases are low in density and viscosity, and when dissolved in liquids, are very low in concentration–so extracting them requires specialized strategies. As a result, living systems use the properties of gases, liquids, and solids to assist in capture, absorption, and filtering. For example, fish gills have many filaments to create a large surface area to maximize how many blood vessels come in close contact with oxygen dissolved in the water.

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Capture, Absorb, or Filter Chemical Entities

Living systems often require chemical elements and chemical compounds, including complex sugars, proteins, and odor-making compounds, to perform critical activities. These compounds exist in various states–solid, liquid, and gas–and are ubiquitous in soil, water, and air. This requires that living systems not only have ways to capture, absorb, or filter them, but also ways to differentiate among them, selecting those that are valuable or harmful. For example, mangrove trees live with their roots in salty water and sediments. Various mangrove species have different strategies for removing salt from the water they take in so that their tissues can use the fresh water.

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Patents

AirCarbon from Newlight Technologies uses ocean microorganisms to convert CO2 into PHB, a readily usable bioplastic.

Benefits

Carbon-negative
Reduced waste
Scalable

Applications

Manufacturing
Consumer goods
Standard and customizable commercial packaging

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities
Goal 12: Responsible Production & Consumption
Goal 13: Climate Action

Bioutilization

Ocean micro-organisms

The Challenge

Greenhouse gases are at the highest levels ever recorded. These gases absorb solar energy and keep heat close to the Earth, also known as the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas and is emitted from burning materials like fossil fuels. Additionally, synthetic plastics are made from fossil fuels and can take centuries to decompose.

Innovation Details

AirCarbon™ uses ocean microorganisms to break down excess methane-containing greenhouse gas emissions. The gases are dissolved in saltwater, and the organisms naturally produce PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate) as a byproduct. The PHB can then be used instead of synthetic plastic in extrusion, blown film, cast film, thermoforming, fiber spinning, and injection molding applications. The microorganisms are able to out-compete the production of oil-based plastics, such as polypropylene and polyethylene. If the material ends up in the ocean it naturally degrades within a year and can be re-consumed as food by microorganisms.

AirCarbon™ biomaterial.

Biological Model

Photoautotrophs are species that are able to produce their own food through . As such, plants, algae, and some microbes use carbon dioxide as a feedstock to make energy, food and products. Carbon fixation is part of the photosynthesis process. Sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water are converted to oxygen and organic materials.

See Related Strategy

Biological Strategy

Photosynthesis Makes Useful Organic Compounds Out of CO2

Plants

Photosynthesis in plants makes useful organic compounds out of carbon dioxide through carbon-fixation reactions.

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