Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are microbial polyesters produced by various microorganisms. Many of these bacteria when fed with suitable carbon sources can produce PHAs up to about 30 wt% of the cell dry weight (CDW) and a few such as Ralstonia eutropha can accumulate PHAs up to almost 90 wt% of the CDW. In cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), the PHA content is usually about 5 wt% of the CDW. In t...

Together with other so-called "bio-plastics", Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are expected to soon replace established polymers on the plastic market. As a prerequisite, optimized process design is needed to make PHAs attractive in terms of costs and quality. Nowadays, large-scale PHA production relies on discontinuous fed-batch cultivation in huge bioreactors. Such processes presuppose numerous s...

Cumulative pregnancy rate has been significantly increased since frozen-thawed embryo transfer was applied in ART cycles. This method has become an essential part of IVF/ICSI treatment. Luteal phase support has been proven to be associated with higher rate of live birth rate. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and progestrone have been successfully used for luteal phase support in ovarian stim...

Pediatric hepatic angiosarcoma (PHAS) is extremely rare, with only five reported tumor-free survivors. Aggressive surgical resection and chemotherapy have been the management in all documented survivors of this disease, however no specific treatment guidelines are established. We present a case of PHAS with the longest reported tumor-free survival at over six years off therapy. 2015 The Authors...

Pseudomonas oleovorans NCIMB 6576 and Ralstonia eutropha 10442 were used for the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from industrial waste cooking oils, bacteria cultured on tryptone soya broth (TSB) Tryptone agar (TSA). P. NCIMB6576 gave a better percentage PHB yield (8.2%) with PS oil as carbon source compared to 6.45% TS oil. However, very low (0.64%) was recorded when grown TSB withou...

The superior biocompatibility and biodegradability of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) compared to man-made biopolymers such as polylactic acid promise huge potential in biomedical applications, especially tissue engineering (TE). Textile fiber-based TE scaffolds offer unique opportunities imitate the anisotropic, hierarchical, or strain-stiffening properties native tissues. A combination PHAs’ enh...

The Issue and Why It’s Important Nicotine (the addictive substance in tobacco products) dependence is thought to be the most frequent chemical dependence in the U.S. (1) with some suggesting it is as addictive as cocaine or heroin.(10;11) Smoking rates have been found to be significantly higher among PHAs than the general population (1-5) with some estimates in the U.S. finding prevalence rates...

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is capable of producing medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (MCL-PHAs) when grown on unrelated carbon sources during nutrient limitation. Transcription levels of genes putatively involved in PHA biosynthesis were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in P. putida grown on glycerol as a sole carbon source. The results showed that two genes, phaG and the...

The most promising drug delivery systems today are biodegradable microspheres and microcapsules. Microspheres can be injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly, adapted for oral administration or inhalation, and introduced into the bloodstream (Ueda 2003). The rapid development of microencapsulation has triggered an interest in biocompatible and biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which...

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are gaining increasing attention in the biodegradable polymer market due to their promising properties such as high biodegradability in different environments, not just in composting plants, and processing versatility. Indeed among biopolymers, these biogenic polyesters represent a potential sustainable replacement for fossil fuel-based thermoplastics. Most commerci...