Faced with the dual challenges of global plastic pollution control and the "dual carbon" strategy, Shanghai Lanjing Microbial Technology Co., Ltd., in conjunction with top scientific research institutions such as Fudan University and Oxford University, achieved three milestone breakthroughs in the field of polyhydroxy fatty acid ester (PHA) biomanufacturing: setting a world's highest single tank production of 300 grams per liter, achieving a 100% carbon source mass conversion rate, and achieving a 64% carbon footprint decline. This series of achievements has been published in international authoritative journals such as "Metabolic Engineering" and "Resources, Protection and Recycling", marking that my country has formed a global leading advantage in the field of biomanufacturing.

PHA degradation efficiency is 100 times that of traditional plastics

PHA is a type of natural polymer biomaterial synthesized by microorganisms. It has the characteristics of natural degradability, biocompatibility and thermoplasticity. Its degradation performance is excellent and can be quickly decomposed into carbon dioxide and water in a natural environment, and its degradation efficiency is 100 times that of traditional plastics. However, its large-scale production has always been a common problem in the industry. As early as the 1980s, Imperial Chemical Company (later acquired by AstraZeneca) tried to industrialize the production of PHA, but because the production cost was as high as US$8-10 per kilogram, far exceeding traditional plastics, it ultimately failed to achieve large-scale mass production. In the field of application, PHA is widely used in medical implants (such as bone plates, sutures), biodegradable packaging (food containers, films), 3D printing materials and cosmetics, and has huge potential market value.

Comparison of the degradation performance of PHA materials and traditional degradable materials in natural seawater

Traditional PHA production relies on sugar-based raw materials, with a technical ceiling of 57% theoretical carbon source conversion rate and a cost bottleneck of US$825/ton. Through genetic engineering technology innovation, the Blue Crystal R&D team successfully opened a new track for oil-based raw materials: using the independently selected Roche Fungus industrial strain, the PHA concentration of 264 grams/liter was achieved in a 150-ton mass production device, the carbon source conversion rate exceeded 100%, and the production cost was directly reduced by 28% to US$590/ton. After process optimization, the unit output was increased to 300 grams per liter, setting a new global industrial mass production record.

Higher quality conversion rate and lower raw material costs make the industrialized large-scale production of PHA materials a reality. In the near future, not only high-value consumables such as medical devices can use PHA as raw materials, but consumer products such as packaging, tableware, textile fibers, etc. can also use this material with better biocompatible bio-compatible to iterate and upgrade to meet people's growing needs for a better life.

Comparison of glycosyl carbon source routes and oil-based carbon source routes synthesized by PHA

"Biohybrid" technology has established an industry benchmark, a new solution for white pollution

The Biohybrid technology system created by the R&D team has achieved two major innovation leaps:

Version 1.0: For the first time in the world, the Calvin cycle is activated in industrial strains. By recycling metabolic by-products and fixed carbon dioxide, the output of 15-ton fermentation tanks has been increased by 20% to 260 grams/liter, creating a new model for the utilization of organic/inorganic dual carbon sources, that is, using carbon dioxide in the air as raw materials to reduce the intake of direct biomass carbon sources.

Version 2.0: The Blue Crystal Microbiology Team systematically optimized the oil and fat utilization capabilities of the strain through functional genomics and synthetic biology technology. Through multiple batches of process optimization, the unit output was further increased to more than 300 grams per liter, and the carbon source conversion rate exceeded 100%, reaching the highest level reported in literature.

The "cradle-to-grave" LCA model established in conjunction with Oxford University shows that using Biohybrid 2.0 technology and kitchen waste oil raw materials, the PHA carbon footprint has dropped to 2.01 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram, a 64% reduction compared with traditional petrochemical plastics, setting a new benchmark for environmental protection of biodegradable materials.

Biohybrid 2.0 technology combined with waste oil raw materials significantly reduces PHA carbon footprint

The damage caused by plastic pollution is shocking and cliché. Traditional plastic residual films can only degrade in the soil for more than 200 years, hindering crops from absorbing nutrients and water, resulting in reduced yields of corn, wheat, etc.; animals accidentally eat plastic, causing gastrointestinal blockage and even death, such as marine organisms accidentally eat suffocation, and land livestock accidentally eat plastic film and cause disease. The total global plastic production in 2023 was 413.8 million tons, of which the recycling rate did not exceed 10%. A large amount of plastic pollution was landfilled, incinerated or even directly leaked into the natural environment, causing serious harm to the ecological environment.

This technological breakthrough has solved the problem of mass production of PHA that has plagued the world for half a century, and has also built a complete technical system from laboratory innovation to industrialization. PHA can degrade in about two weeks to six months. The specific degradation time varies according to the colony environment and material combination, but it is far shorter than traditional plastics and does not require artificial compost intervention and can degrade under natural conditions.

[Editor in charge: Sun Hui]