| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polyester with thermoplastic properties that is naturally occurring and produced by such bacteria as <it>Ralstonia eutropha </it>H16 and <it>Bacillus megaterium</it>. In contrast to currently utilized plastics and most synthetic polymers, PHB is biodegradable, and its production is not dependent on fossil resources making this bioplastic interesting for various industrial applications.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we report on introducing the bacterial PHB pathway of <it>R. eutropha </it>H16 into the diatom <it>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</it>, thereby demonstrating for the first time that PHB production is feasible in a microalgal system. Expression of the bacterial enzymes was sufficient to result in PHB levels of up to 10.6% of algal dry weight. The bioplastic accumulated in granule-like structures in the cytosol of the cells, as shown by light and electron microscopy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our studies demonstrate the great potential of microalgae like the diatom <it>P. tricornutum </it>to serve as solar-powered expression factories and reveal great advantages compared to plant based production systems.</p>
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