Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters, produced by many bacteria and some archaea. The most commonly characterised is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Produced when nutrients are growth limiting and carbon available in excess, PHA serves as a carbon-energy storage material and forms generally spherical insoluble inclusions between 50-500nm in diameter in the cytoplasm. The key enzyme for PHA synthesis is the PHA synthase and this enzyme catalyses the polymerisation of (R)-3-hydroxy fatty acids into PHA. PHA synthase remains covalently attached to the growing polyester chain and is displayed on the surface of the PHA granule. Other proteins associated with PHA granules include depolymerases for mobilisation or degradation of granules, regulatory proteins and phasins, proteins that aid in PHA granule stability. PHA bio-beads displaying an IgG binding protein were produced and used to purify IgG from serum demonstrating that the PHA synthase can be engineered to display functional synthase fusion proteins at the PHA granule surface. Correctly folded eukaryotic proteins were also produced and displayed at the PHA granule surface as phasin fusion proteins. Multiple-functionality was also achievable by co-expression of various hybrid genes suggesting that this biotechnological bead production strategy might represent a versatile platform technology. The production of functional eukaryotic proteins at the PHA bead surface represents a novel in vivo matrix-assisted protein folding system. Protein engineering of PHA granule surface proteins provides a novel molecular tool for the display of antigens for FACS based analysis and offers promising possibilities in the development of future biotechnological production processes. Overall, the results obtained in this study strongly enhance the applied potential of these polyester beads in biotechnology and medicine.

A capacidade de B. sacchari acumular poli-3-hidroxibutirato-co-3-hidroxihexanoato (P3HB-co-3HHx) foi confirmada, com até 2 mol% de 3HHx no PHA total (<10% do 3HHx máximo teórico a partir do ácido), indicando flexibilidade da PHA sintase por substratos, porém alta eficiência nas vias catabólicas do hexanoato. Análise da estabilidade térmica do PHA indicou uma temperatura de degradação reduzida, compatível com a presença de unidades 3HHx. Mutantes incapazes de crescer em ácido hexanóico foram obtidos com UV e transposon mini-Tn5, que ainda acumulavam 3HHx a partir de hexanoato mas com redução na capacidade do acúmulo de 3HB e 3HHx. Foram construídos recombinantes abrigando o gene phaB (codificador de 3-cetoacil-CoA redutase) de Ralstonia eutropha ou phaJ1 e phaJ2 (codificadores de enoil-CoA hidratases R-específicas) de Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A expressão de phaB ou phaJ1 aumentou a canalização de 3HB para a PHA sintase, apesar de não aumentar as frações de 3HHx. Monômeros de 3HHx e 3HO foram detectados a partir de ácidos butírico e octanóico, respectivamente. / The ability of B. sacchari to accumulate poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (P3HB-co-3HHx) from glucose and hexanoic acid was confirmed. 3HHx content was up to 2 mol% of PHA (<10% of the maximum theoretical 3HHx from the acid), indicating a substrate flexibility of B. sacchari PHA synthase, but high efficiency of hexanoate catabolic pathways. Thermal stability analysis of the copolymer indicated a reduced degradation temperature compatible with 3HHx units. Mutants unable to grow on hexanoic acid were obtained with UV and mini-Tn5 transposon. They still accumulated 3HHx from hexanoate, but the ability to accumulate 3HB and 3HHx was reduced. Recombinants harboring the Ralstonia eutropha phaB (encoding 3-ketoacyl-CoA reductase) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa phaJ1 and phaJ4 genes (encoding R-specific enoyl-CoA hydratases) were constructed. Expression of both phaB and phaJ1 increased the channeling of 3HB to the PHA synthase, despite no increase on 3HHx fraction was observed. 3HHx and 3HO monomers were detected from butyric and octanoic acids, respectively.

The aim of this diploma thesis was to subject selected cyanobacterial strains to adaptive evolution and subsequently investigate the properties of the resulting adapted strains, especially their changes related to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) accumulation. The theoretical part of the work describes in more detail the issue of cyanobacteria, PHA and their interconnection in the field of evolutionary engineering. Cyanobacterial strains Synechocystis sp 6803 and. Synechocystis salina CCALA 192 were used for evolutionary experiments. Selection pressures of hydrogen peroxide and copper. were applied to selected representatives. The resulting cultures and their ability to accumulate PHA were subsequently assessed by gas chromatography. Both of these selection pressures proved to be unsuitable, as strong growth inhibition was observed after their application to cultures, which did not allow the application of evolutionary engineering methods. In the second half of the experimental part, the provided adapted strains to 6% NaCl were monitored. Adaptation has been shown to have a positive effect on microorganisms, as they have a higher biomass content, better stress resistance and a slight increase in PHA accumulation.

This diploma thesis deals with the application of evolutionary engineering to PHA producing bacterial strains. The aim of the thesis is to prepare strains adapted to levulinic acid, a selected stress factor, by methods of evolutionary engineering, and then to characterize these strains. The theoretical part deals with evolutionary engineering and polyhydroxyalkanoates predominantly. The bacterial strain Cupriavidus necator H16 was used for evolutionary experiments. Levulinic acid and levulinic acid in the presence of the MMS mutagen were applied to prepare adapted strains. Selection of mutants was evaluated on the basis of growth potential and PHA content in biomass. Polymers produced by five obtained PHA-producing mutants and control were characterized using GC-FID, SEC-MALS, DSC and FT-IR. It was found that a higher content of 3HV in the copolymer led to a lower crystallinity and hence to a lower melting point, nevertheless, only the copolymer of the M0151 strain did not fit this trend. In addition to the characteristics of the polymers, the strains themselves were evaluated from the biochemical point of view by determining the activities of selected enzymes of the citrate, glyoxalate and 2-methylcitrate cycle, selected enzymes generating NADPH, levulic acid catabolism enzyme and PHA biosynthesis enzymes. On the basis of the obtained data, the possible adaptation strategies were discussed, when the E0575 strain was most differentiated from original culture. Values of specific enzyme activities were subjected to AHC and PCA statistical analysis methods.

This thesis deals with the study of polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis as a microbial product with the potential to replace current conventional plastics made from petroleum. The dissertation thesis is elaborated in the form of a discussed set of already published publications, which are then part of the thesis in the form of appendices. The work builds on relatively extensive knowledge in the field of polyhydroxyalkanoate production and brings new facts and possible strategies. Various possibilities of analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoates using modern methods were tested in this work, which brings especially speed, which can be crucial in real-time evaluation of production biotechnological process. Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a very promising technique for rapid quantification of PHA. Furthermore, the work deals with valorisation of waste of food and agricultural origin. Emphasis is placed on methods of detoxification of lignocellulose hydrolysates. In this context, adsorption of inhibitors to lignin was first used as an alternative to other detoxification techniques. Due to detoxification, selected production strains Burkholederia cepacia and B. sacchari were able to utilize softwood hydrolyzate for PHA production. In the next part of the work was also tested the possibility of using chicken feathers as a complex source of nitrogen. Evolutionary engineering was also used as a possible strategy to eliminate the inhibitory effect of levulic acid as a microbial inhibitor that results from the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials. Adaptation experiments were used to develop strains exhibiting higher resistance to levulic acid and the ability to accumulate a higher 3HV copolymer from the original wild-type C. necator strain. Another promising approach tested in the work was the use of extremophilic microbial strain, which leads to a reduction in the cost of biotechnological production. Selected Halomonas species have shown high potential as halophilic PHA producers. The final part of the thesis was devoted to the selection of the production strain with regard to the properties of the resulting PHA. The Cupriavidus malaysiensis strain was selected to produce a P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB) terpolymer which revealed significant differences in material properties over P3HB.

This diploma thesis deals with 1) the preparation of biodegradable polymer films based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and 2) their modification by lignin as an active additive. The motivation for this work was to prepare active packaging material for food packaging. Polymer films were prepared by blending of neat crystalline poly(3hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) and amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). The lignin was isolated from grape seeds derived from grape pomace. The solubility of lignin in chloroform was improved by acetylation. The properties of the isolated lignin were determined by elemental analysis, ash content, and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Lignin was used as an active additive for the modification of polymeric films prepared by solution casting of P3HB or P3HB blended with amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate. The effect of different concentrations of lignin in the range of 1 to 10 % was tested. The lignin type and concentration had a different influence on the final thermal and mechanical behaviour of polymeric films. Lignin increased the values of the Young modulus and tensile strength of the prepared films. Differential scanning calorimetry data confirmed that lignin positively modified crystallization kinetics of P3HB. Thermogravimetry was used to analyse the thermal stability of PHA films. Lignin markedly increased the thermal stability of PHA films. However, acetylated lignin harms the mechanical properties of films. Moreover, this work showed that lignin isolated from grape seeds and added into PHA films proved its high antioxidant capacity. PHA films with lignin displayed much better gas barrier properties compared with PHA films without lignin. The prepared bioactive PHA films fulfil the requirements for sustainable food packaging with high antioxidant capacity and excellent gas barrier properties.

The diploma thesis is confused to verify the applicability of selected physicochemical and spectroscopic methods for characterization of cyanobacteria, with special emphasis on possibilities of qualitative and quantitative analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (specifically polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)) accumulated in cyanobacterial cells. The sample basis of the work was formed by cultures of cyanobacterial strains of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Synechocystis salina CCALA 192. The cultures were were cultivated in several ways to cover the widest possible range of physiological conditions and PHB contents, in particular using an autotrophic way of cultivation on shakers and multicultural culture method in a basic culture medium,and in media enriched with 2% salt (NaCl ) as well as mixotrophic culture media with different types of the carbon substrate. After few weeks of cultivation, cyanobacterial cultures were obtained and complexly analyzed by following techniques- cell suspensions were analyzed by flow cytometry and UV-VIS spectrometry (transmission and diffusion transmission mode), dry cell biomass was characterised by gas chromatography to obtain a exact amount of PHB, and then FT-IR spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis. The work aimed to assess whether any of these methods can be a quick and affordable alternative to the determination of PHB content to the most commonly used method of gas chromatography, but also to assess what additional information about the physiological state of cyanobacterial cells can provide test methods. The highest correlation on PHB content was determined for the parameters determined by infrared spectroscopy, in which specific peaks from the characteristic wavelengths for polyhydroxybutyrate were important. Weak correlations on PHB content were achieved in thermogravimetric analysis and cytometry, using the hydrophobic fluorescent probe BODIPY 439/503, which bound to lipophilic parts of cells. In addition to the determination of PHB, it was possible to determine pigments present in cyanobacteria (such as chlorophyll, phycocyanin and carotenoids) by flow cytometry and UV-VIS diffusion transmission spectrometry. In the end, results from all used techniques were compared by PCA analysis to determine the similarity of all analyzed samples.

This diploma thesis deals with the utilization of physico-chemical analysis in study on microbial stress–response. The main content of this work was to propose and optimize techniques and methods which are generally used in different industries. Two bacterial strains, Cupriavidus necator H16 and its mutant strain Cupriavidus necator PHB-4 producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) under certain conditions, were used as model microorganisms. Initially, microscopic teques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryo scanning electron microscopy (cryo SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were proposed and tested for the characteriozation of morphological differences of bacteria. Furthermore, viscoelastic properties of bacteria were determined and compared by the oscillatory tests of the rheology method considering another type of samples. Thermal analysis methods, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in particular, focused on water transport and behavior of intracellular water influenced by presence of the granules of PHB in bacteria. The last technique, utilized in the study, was dynamic and electrophoretic light dispersion during pH changes for characterization of the surface properties of bacteria such as size, zeta potential and the isoelectric point.

This master thesis deals with polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and their role in bacterial biofilms. In the theoretical part the polyhydroxyalkanoates, bacterial biofilm and the relationship between them were reviewed. The experimental part focused on differences in PHA production by planktonic and biofilm cells. In order to study selected topic, bacterial strains of Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia sacchari were cultivated using a CDC biofilm reactor. The attention was paid to quantity and especially to the form in which PHA occurs in planktonic and biofilm cells. Results of Raman spectroscopy have shown that PHA exists exclusively in native amorphous form in planktonic bacterial cells. On the other hand, in biofilm PHA occurs also in a partially crystalline form. In addition, the resistance of planktonic and biofilm cells against various stress factors and the effect of osmotic stress on PHA production was tested too. According to the results of the experiment, when the bacteria were exposed to different stress factors (high temperature, low temperature, presence of detergent and so forth) biofilm cells showed a higher stress resistance than planktonic cells. Apart from slowing cell growth and reproduction, increased osmotic pressure in the culture medium also caused decrease of PHA production. In addition, planktonic cells responded to external stimuli more sensitively than biofilm ones.

I den här studien har en beräkningsmodell byggts för hur PHA skulle kunna produceras av substrat i avloppsvatten från Gruvöns bruk. Därefter har en jämförande livscykelanalys utförts där PP-sugrör inom Europa ersätts med PHA-sugrör från bruket. Målet med studien är att utvärdera och jämföra miljöpåverkan för en engångsprodukt av PHA med en engångsprodukt av PP. Syftet är att undersöka ett alternativt material till PP på grund av att fossila resurser är ändliga samt att alternativa material kommer krävas i och med europeiska kommissionens förbud mot engångsplast som träder i kraft 2022. Arbetet utförs också för att bidra med mer forskningsunderlag gällande PHA från restströmmar. Livscykelanalysen utfördes med ISO-standard: 14040 och 14044 som riktlinje för utförande. 1 ton sugrör valdes som funktionell enhet och hela produktens livscykel undersöktes med undantag för användningsfasen. PHA-produktion på bruket beräknades teoretiskt där mass- och energiflöden från modellen sedan användes för miljöbedömning. SimaPro valdes som programvara för LCA-beräkning, miljödata hämtades från databasen Ecoinvent 3 och ELCD där 10 av 18 miljöfaktorer inom metoden ReCiPe midpoint (h) undersöktes kompletterat med kumulativt energibehov (CED).   Resultaten i studien visar en minskning av miljöpåverkan med 99 % om sugrör av PP skulle ersättas med sugrör av PHA från Gruvöns bruk. Samtidigt beräknades CED öka med cirka 50 %. Analyser av resultatet visar att giftighet för ekosystem i sjöar och hav vid materialframställning för PP är de största faktorerna för PP-sugrörets påverkan, motsvarande cirka 85 % av den totala miljöpåverkan. Inkludering av fler produktionsvariationer indikerar också att det finns potential att ytterligare sänka miljöpåverkan från PHA-sugrör samt att få en lägre energianvändning än för PP-sugrör genom att ändra metod för extraktion samt temperatur i fermenteringsprocessen. Resultaten är osäkra på grund av LCA-verktygets osäkerheter, brist på miljödata samt brist på studier. Resultaten kan dock användas för att se trender och potential. Ett exempel är att ingen större skillnad ses mellan engångsprodukter av PP och PHA när enbart klimatpåverkan och energi för produktion undersöks men när hela livscykeln undersöks med fler miljöfaktorer så verkar PP ha klart högre miljöpåverkan än PHA. Slutsatsen som dras är att engångsprodukter av PHA från varma restströmmar har potential att ersätta engångsprodukter av PP på ett för miljön hållbart sätt. Det kan vara en möjlig lösning till att fortsätta producera engångsprodukter som berörs av plastförbudet samt att lätta på en del av problematiken kring utarmning av fossila resurser. Mer studier gällande möjliga användningsområden samt en småskalig pilotanläggning på Gruvöns bruk rekommenderas som vidare steg för att utforska potentialen av PHA från restströmmar. / In this study, a calculation model has been built on how PHA could be produced from forest industrial wastewater at Gruvöns pulp- and paper mill. Subsequently, a comparative life-cycle analysis has been carried out where production of PP-drinking straws in Europe is replaced with PHA-straws from the mill. The objective of the study is to assess and compare the environmental impact of a disposable PHA product with a disposable PP product. The purpose of the study is to examine an alternative material for PP due to the finite nature of fossil resources and the fact that alternative materials will be required when the plastic ban from the European Commission on disposable products comes into force 2022. An additional purpose is to provide more research data on PHA from residual streams. The lifecycle analysis was performed with ISO standard: 14040 and 14044 as a guideline and 1 ton of straw was selected as the functional unit. The entire life cycle was examined with an exception of the usage phase. PHA production at the mill was theoretically calculated and mass and energy flows from the model was then used in the environmental assessment. SimaPro was selected as the software for LCA calculation, environmental data was retrieved from the Ecoinvent 3 database and ELCD database. 10 out of 18 environmental factors within the ReCiPe midpoint (h) method were investigated complemented with cumulative energy demand (CED). The results of the study show a 99 % reduction in environmental impact if drinking straws of PP would be replaced with straws from PHA from Gruvön's mill. At the same time, CED was estimated to increase by about 50 %. Analyses of the results show that the toxicity of material production to marine and freshwater ecosystems is the most influential factor in the impact of PP straws, representing around 85 % of the total environmental impact. Expansion of the calculation model showed that there is potential to further reduce the environmental impact of PHA straws as well as the energy requirements to a level that is lower than that of PP straws by changing method of extraction and fermentation. The results are uncertain due to the uncertainties of the LCA tool, lack of environmental data and lack of studies. However, the results can be used to see trends and potential. One example is that no major difference is seen between disposable PP and PHA products when only climate impact and energy for production are examined, but when the entire life cycle is examined with more environmental factors, PP appears to have a significantly higher environmental impact than PHA. The conclusion drawn in the study is that disposable PHA products from hot residual streams have potential to replace disposable PP products in an environmentally sustainable manner. This may be a possible solution to continue producing disposable products that are affected by the plastic ban and to alleviate some of the problems surrounding depletion of fossil resources. Further studies on possible uses and a small-scale pilot plant at Gruvön's mill are recommended as further steps to explore the potential of PHA from residual streams.