BACTERIAL AND OTHER BIOLOGICAL-SYSTEMS FOR POLYESTER PRODUCTION

Poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) and other structurally related aliphatic p olyesters from bacteria, referred to as polyhydroxyalkanoic acids, for m biodegradable thermoplastics and elastomers that ave currently in us e, or being considered for use, in industry, medicine, pharmacy and ag riculture, At present, they are produced by microbial fermentations; i n the future, production will also be possible by in vitro methods or by agriculture using transgenic plants. Representatives from this high ly diverse class of polyesters might be produced as commodity chemical s for bulk applications, and others as fine chemicals for special appl ications.