title: The Closure of the Cycle: Enzymatic Synthesis and Functionalization of Bio-Based Polyesters.
abstract: The polymer industry is under pressure to mitigate the environmental cost of petrol-based plastics. Biotechnologies contribute to the gradual replacement of petrol-based chemistry and the development of new renewable products, leading to the closure of carbon circle. An array of bio-based building blocks is already available on an industrial scale and is boosting the development of new generations of sustainable and functionally competitive polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA). Biocatalysts add higher value to bio-based polymers by catalyzing not only their selective modification, but also their synthesis under mild and controlled conditions. The ultimate aim is the introduction of chemical functionalities on the surface of the polymer while retaining its bulk properties, thus enlarging the spectrum of advanced applications.
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Department for Agrobiotechnology IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, A-3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pellis
authors.affiliation: Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, A-3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herrero Acero
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied and Computational Biocatalysis, Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.affiliation: Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, A-3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribitsch
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Department for Agrobiotechnology IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, A-3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria; Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, A-3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors.forename: Georg M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Guebitz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied and Computational Biocatalysis, Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: gardossi@units.it.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gardossi
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001704:Biopolymers; D011091:Polyesters
keywords: bio-based; biocatalyzed polycondensation; biodegradable; circular economy; functionalized polyesters; polyesters; ring-opening polymerization