ReviewFEBS open bio2026
Enzymatic and microbial routes to bioplastics: The green chemistry frontier of biopolymers.
Review in FEBS open bio, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Towards environmental sustainability through the production of tailored bioplastics.FEBS open bio · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The rapid escalation of global plastic consumption, coupled with the environmental impacts of petrochemical polymers, has sparked a surge of interest in bioplastics, particularly those derived from microbial and enzymatic processes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the metabolic pathways, structural properties and emerging technological innovations shaping the next generation of bioplastics, with a particular focus on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). The following sections outline the conceptual distinctions between bio-based and biodegradable plastics, the key bacterial pathways responsible for the biosynthesis of PHA, PLA precursors, bacterial cellulose, microbial polyamides and other bio-derived polymers. The physicochemical and morphological features of PHA-based materials are analysed as well. These features include monomer composition, crystallinity, copolymer architecture and molecular weight. The relationship between these features and the mechanical and thermal performance of the materials is then investigated. A dedicated section is allocated to recent advances in in vitro enzymatic PHA synthesis, covering PHA synthase (PhaC) classes, engineered variants, cell-free metabolic engineering platforms, enzyme immobilisation and surface-display strategies that enable fully programmable and modular polymerisation. Finally, we discuss future perspectives, with particular emphasis on sustainable feedstocks, process intensification through synthetic biology, techno-economic challenges and the regulatory landscape required for large-scale adoption. The present review integrates biochemical, structural and bioprocessing insights to map current progress and identify strategic directions for enabling enzymatic bioplastics as scalable, customisable and environmentally sound alternatives within a circular bioeconomy framework. Impact statement This review highlights recent advances in microbial and enzymatic routes for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate-based bioplastics, with emphasis on engineered enzymes and cell-free systems. By integrating biochemical and bioprocess insights, it outlines strategies to enable scalable and sustainable biopolymer production within a circular bioeconomy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.