**Professor Sang Yup Lee’s Team at KAIST Utilizes Systems Metabolic Engineering**
**Replacing Traditional Plastics… Exceptional Strength and Durability**
KAIST announced on the 20th that Professor Sang Yup Lee and his research team in the Department of Biological Sciences have developed a microbial strain that can produce various eco-friendly plastic materials known as “polyester amide” using systems metabolic engineering.
Polyester amide is a next-generation material that combines the advantages of commonly used plastics like PET (polyester) and nylon (polyamide). Currently, its production relies on petroleum-based methods, raising concerns about environmental pollution due to the lack of biological production methods.
The research team designed a new microbial metabolic pathway that does not exist in nature, creating a platform microbial strain capable of producing 9 different types of polyester amide, including polyesters. This system utilizes glucose from biomass such as waste wood or weeds as an energy source to produce polyester amide in an environmentally friendly manner.
The team, in collaboration with the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, analyzed the properties of the produced polyester amide, finding that it possessed characteristics similar to the eco-friendly material high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The team explained that it is eco-friendly and has the strength and durability to potentially replace traditional plastics.
Moreover, by producing the microbial strain with a high-efficiency fed-batch fermentation process, the team confirmed its potential for future industrialization.
Professor Sang Yup Lee stated, “We have presented the first possibility of producing polyester amide through a bio-based chemical industry without relying on the petrochemical industry.” He added, “We plan to continue with follow-up research to further increase production and productivity.”
This research finding was published in the international journal “Nature Chemical Biology” on the 17th.