Technological watch
UB study produces a biodegradable bioplastic with a low environmental impact using a modified bacterium
Every year, hundreds of millions of tonnes of petrochemical-based plastics are produced, much of which ends up in the environment or is incinerated. This exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental crisis caused by plastic pollution. Now, a study led by the University of Barcelona has produced a biodegradable bioplastic of high industrial value — polyhydroxybutyrate or PHB — from unprocessed potato starch in a single 24-hour step, a strategic breakthrough that could help reduce dependence on oil and the volume of persistent plastic waste.
The study thus establishes that the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a robust platform of great industrial interest for producing PHB — a biodegradable biopolymer derived from renewable sources — from potato starch, an abundant and low-cost agricultural by-product.
The paper, published in the journal ». Bioresource Technology, May 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134933.
The study thus establishes that the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a robust platform of great industrial interest for producing PHB — a biodegradable biopolymer derived from renewable sources — from potato starch, an abundant and low-cost agricultural by-product.
The paper, published in the journal ». Bioresource Technology, May 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134933.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870292.
