title: Biopolymers from marine prokaryotes.
abstract: Biopolymers from marine prokaryotes, both Bacteria and Archaea, offer a number of novel material properties and commercial opportunities. The characteristics of marine exopolysaccharides and melanins that enhance the survival ability of the organisms producing them can be exploited for a number of products ranging from emulsifiers to adhesives. In the prokaryotes, the polyhydroxyalkanoates form carbon-storage molecules, but their technological application is entirely different, serving as a potential base material for biodegradable plastics. Marine biopolymers are a significant and undeveloped biological resource.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA. rw19@umail.umd.edu
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001709:Biotechnology; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D008386:Marine Biology; D008543:Melanins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D008543:Melanins; D011091:Polyesters; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial