Microbial Biopolymers: From Synthesis to Properties and Applications—2nd Edition

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 1950

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, and UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: biological valorization of agro-industrial byproducts; microbial bioprocesses; biopolymers: production and applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
NOVA School of Sciences and Technology, University NOVA of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: polysaccharides; marine biopolymers; microalgae; marine bacteria; hydrogels; nanomaterials; biocomposites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymers of microbial origin, such as polysaccharides, polyamides, and polyhydroxyalkanoates, have been extensively studied, and many of them are already being exploited in many areas, including as commodity products and in high-value medical and pharmaceutical applications. They are represented by a large variety of materials characterized by valuable properties, ranging from hydrocolloids to thermoplastics, and which include bioactive macromolecules. Microbial biopolymers present many advantages over their synthetic counterparts, which are mainly related to the biodegradability and biocompatibility already demonstrated by many of them, and their more sustainable production processes. The use of microorganisms for biopolymer production also presents advantages over the use of other natural sources, plants, macroalgae, or animals, as they are more amenable to control through cultivation conditions and can bypass complications due to climate, pollution, and seasonality, thus assuring the quality and quantity of the final products. More importantly, microbial biopolymers frequently display properties not found in other natural or synthetic polymers, which creates opportunities for novel applications in high-value areas such as biomedicine, cosmetics, and nutrition.

This Special Issue on “Microbial Biopolymers: From Synthesis to Properties and Applications” will, therefore, present original research papers and comprehensive reviews that integrate expertise from different areas related to microbial biopolymers, including, but not limited to the following topics:

  • Screening and cultivation of novel biopolymer producing microorganisms
  • Development and optimization of sustainable production processes,
  • Genetics and biosynthetic pathways,
  • Metabolic engineering,
  • Novel ecological biopolymer recovery strategies,
  • Biopolymer characterization,
  • Preparation of biopolymer-based materials,
  • Biopolymer applications.

Dr. Filomena Freitas
Dr. Patrícia Concórdio-Reis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • biopolymer
  • polysaccharides
  • polyamides
  • polyhydroxyalkanoates
  • scaffolds
  • hydrogels
  • emulsions
  • nanomaterials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 3466 KiB  
Article
Modulating the Release Kinetics of Natural Product Actinomycin from Bacterial Nanocellulose Films and Their Antimicrobial Activity
by Katarzyna Zimowska, Vuk Filipovic, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, Jelena Simic, Tatjana Ilic-Tomic, Malgorzata Zimowska, Jacek Gurgul and Marijana Ponjavic
Bioengineering 2024, 11(8), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11080847 - 19 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1441
Abstract
The present study aimed to create a more sustainable and controlled delivery system based on natural biopolymer bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and bacterial natural product actinomycin (Act), with the applicative potential in the biomedical field. In order to provide improved interaction between BNC and [...] Read more.
The present study aimed to create a more sustainable and controlled delivery system based on natural biopolymer bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and bacterial natural product actinomycin (Act), with the applicative potential in the biomedical field. In order to provide improved interaction between BNC and the active compound, and thus to modulate the release kinetics, the TEMPO oxidation of BNC support was carried out. A mix of actinomycins from bacterial fermentation (ActX) were used as natural antimicrobial agents with an established bioactivity profile and clinical use. BNC and TEMPO-oxidized BNC films with incorporated active compounds were obtained and analyzed by FTIR, SEM, XPS, and XRD. The ActX release profiles were determined in phosphate-buffer solution, PBS, at 37 °C over time. FTIR analysis confirmed the improved incorporation and efficiency of ActX adsorption on oxidized BNC due to the availability of more active sites provided by oxidation. SEM analysis indicated the incorporation of ActX into the less-dense morphology of the TEMPO-oxidized BNC in comparison to pure BNC. The release kinetics of ActX were significantly affected by the BNC structure, and the activated BNC sample indicated the sustained release of active compounds over time, corresponding to the Fickian diffusion mechanism. Antimicrobial tests using Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571 confirmed the potency of this BNC-based system for biomedical applications, taking advantage of the capacity of modified BNC to control and modulate the release of bioactive compounds. Full article
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