Application of Fermentation Technology in Biopolymer Production

Dear Colleagues,

Microbial biopolymers have emerged as potential substitutes for conventional plastics, supporting the transition toward a circular economy and sustainable development. These biomaterials are of great interest to the scientific community because their thermal and mechanical properties make them suitable for diverse applications in biomedicine, packaging, coatings, adhesives, and construction. However, large-scale production of these products is still constrained by high operational costs, largely due to the expenses of feedstocks, fermentation requirements, and downstream processing. Novel bioprocess engineering approaches in fermentation technology are therefore critical to overcoming these limitations and increasing the penetration of microbial polymers in the bioplastics market.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect novel and enhanced approaches in fermentation technology for biopolymer production, such as the use of low-cost carbon or nitrogen sources, bioprocess engineering in high-cell-density cultures, studies on the role of key substrates in improving global reaction rates, the development of novel biopolymers obtained by microbial fermentation, and life cycle analyses (LCA) or techno-economical studies focused on reducing fermentation costs. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but not limited to, the following:

• Waste valorization into microbial biopolymers.
• Biopolymer synthesis in biorefineries.
• Novel strains with enhanced biopolymer production capability.
• Bioprocess development.
• Gas–liquid mass transfer studies.
• New microbial biopolymers obtained by fermentation.
• Optimization of biopolymer production in high-cell-density cultures.
• Reactor and kinetic engineering.
• LCA and techno-economic analysis.

Dr. Alberto Rodriguez
Prof. Dr. Victoria E. Santos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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