Cloning and Sequencing of Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) Synthesis genes

This book is a practical reference for genetic engineers working on bacteria to produce biodegradable plastics. This book provides a comprehensive account of the advantages and the disadvantages of using the plastic based petroleum. Since the disadvantages of the plastic based petroleum on environment and health surpasses its advantages, it is very important to find new approaches that reduce the hazards of using plastic. Different types of biodegradable plastic were developed as environmentally friendly materials. This book shows that Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as a bioplastic polymer, is a better substitute for plastic based petroleum as it has biological origin, has similar material properties as synthetic polymers, and it is completely biodegradable. PHB are biopolymer synthesized completely inside bacterial cells and has different applications. The book illustrates the process used in extracting and purifying biodegradable plastic from PHB producing microorganisms. The PHA biosynthetic genes of Bacillus cereus that accumulates the highest amount of PHB were isolated,cloned, and then sequenced in E. coli. Moreover, the expression of PHA genes in E. coli was determined.