Turning BacTERia into factories of BIOdegradable PLASTICS

Project Information

BterBioPlastics

Grant agreement ID: 867437

DOI

10.3030/867437

Project closed

EC signature date 15 April 2019

Start date 1 May 2019

End date 30 June 2021

Funded under

• SPREADING EXCELLENCE AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION

Total cost

€ 147 815,04

EU contribution

€ 147 815,04

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BterBioPlastics (Turning BacTERia into factories of BIOdegradable PLASTICS)

Reporting period: 2019-05-01 to 2021-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Plastics are littering our environment, contributing to health problems and it is urgent to find sustainable alternatives. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural (not synthetic) and non-toxic polyesters and can be derived from bacterial fermentation. However, the amount produced is low for the demand, and costs for production are high and non-competitive when compared to plastics from crude oil. Therefore, it is urgent to overcome this limiting factor by increasing the production of biodegradable bioplastics.

The BterBioPlastics project's main aim was the synthesis of biodegradable materials to reduce global environmental pollution. This proposal planned to use expertise in RNA regulators to research plastics production via the non-toxic bacteria Sinorhizobium meliloti and Pseudomonas putida. Further, the project would examine pilot fermentations and metabolic modulation strategies to raise the level of bioplastics production and collaborate with bioplastics experts, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they could not be implemented.

The role of riboregulation along the PHA accumulation has been clarified in this project through the analysis of the production and quality of these polymers in both organisms. The scl/mcl-PHAs synthesized in RNases and chaperone mutants were extracted from the culture’s biomass, analyzed, and compared to the wild-type strains. Further, transcriptome analysis in the most prominent genetic backgrounds was implemented to decipher the sRNAs and their cognate mRNAs targets implicated, as well as their possible roles in the PHAs synthesis. This study will be published during the next few months and will provide a resource to dissect the regulatory mechanisms underlying riboregulation activity in the post-transcriptional control of scl/mcl-PHAs accumulation in microorganisms, that to date had been almost exclusively viewed from the perception of transcriptional regulation.

In conclusion and from a long-term perspective, this project can contribute to improving the production and quality of PHAs polymers on an industrial scale. It will provide the industrial sector with a natural biodegradable plastics alternative, as well as promote the researcher’s career independence.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In line with Annex 1 of the Grant Agreement, the work carried out during the reporting period has been focused on the deeper understanding of the regulatory pathways involved in the production of PHAs, in two distinct gram-negative bacterial species (S. meliloti and P. putida). While the study of RNases during the reporting period has shed new light on the regulatory mechanisms for PHAs production, the novel synthetic RNA dual-system (described in Annex 1) could not be developed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions at workplaces. To compensate for the lack in the achievement of this objective, corrective actions were required. Consequently, transcriptome analysis of S. meliloti was implemented in addition to the initially planned in P. putida. This deviation in the initial work plan has allowed us to further understand the contribution of RNases in the regulation of both organisms, what can be used to increase industrial yields, and therefore significantly contribute to reducing the costs of scaling-up PHAs.


The plan described in the Grant Agreement defined the dissemination of results in public and international sectors, furthermore for the development of my communication skills and for the extension of collaborations. In this regard, I have participated in the international congress ECBB 2021 (Euro-Global Conference on Biotechnology and Bioengineering; https://biotechnology-conferences.magnusgroup.org/speaker/alexandra-peregrina-lav-n). Initially, the event was planned to be in-person but finally switched to virtual format due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The finances of this project have been used for the inscription in the ECBB 2022, which will take place in June 2022.

I was selected to participate in the annual European communication event Science is Wonderful!, in 2019 Brussels (Belgium), with a stand named Fantastic Bioplastics. This event was addressed to multiple types of audiences, and more than 5.000 people took part in it. All costs were beard by the European Commission, including the delivery of the necessary material for our stand. The host institute (ITQB NOVA) promoted this exhibition through its webpage, where our participation was described: https://www.itqb.unl.pt/news/europe-celebrating-science. In the frame of that exposition, I was invited to the Second European Education Summit, in which I imparted a Workshop called “Creating a healthy environment in the classroom - Make an impact with ‘bioplastics”: https://ec.europa.eu/education/second-summit_en. These costs were beard by the European Commission as well.

As planned in the DoA, I have used some of my personal/profesional social media accounts to communicate the most recent results and relevant news in science, especially related to this project (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexandra_Peregrina_Lavin; www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-peregrina-lavín;@Alexita_PL). My participation in the event organized by the EU, Science is Wonderful! 2019, was in the press release by the host institute (https://www.itqb.unl.pt/news/europe-celebrating-science). Likewise, my contribution was also captured in videos and photographs taken during this exhibition by the organizers.

For the time being, one Review in the frame of this project has been funded and published in both, open-access journal (https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/8/853/htm) and preprint server (https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202108.0426/v1). The writing of two Research Articles is currently ongoing including the results obtained along with this project, which we expect to be published during 2022. In accordance with EU policies and as described in the GA, this intellectual property will be available within the scientific community at open-access journals and preprint servers. Funding from the MSCA action will be acknowledged.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The work carried out along this project has the potential of creating new market opportunities, strengthening competitiveness and growth of companies, subsequently of the new understanding of how RNA molecules (specifically ribonucleases enzymes) can be used to improve and manipulate the microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesis. The new data and information acquired during this Action will be released along with two results manuscripts that we expect to be available during 2022. Furthermore, with the peer-reviewed publication of the results obtained, this project has the potential to increase industrial yields and therefore significantly contribute to reducing the costs of scaling-up PHAs. This is still the limiting factor for the wide implementation of biodegradable bioplastics by industry. Consequently, it can lead to a great social and environmental impact through the influence in our everyday life with higher versatility of bio-based degradable plastic. Accordingly, the work carried out contributes towards European policy objectives and has an impact on policymaking.

BterBioPlastics review