Abstract
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of environmentally friendly polyesters that can be synthesized by a wide range of microorganisms as carbon and energy stores, have been considered as an alternative to petroleum-based chemicals. The composition and structure diversity of PHAs have led to various properties and endless applications to form a PHA value chain. This chapter gives a brief introduction to the production and application of PHAs, focusing on the laboratory production by strains developed using various genetic/metabolic engineering or synthetic biology approaches. A newly developed open and continuous fermentation process based on halophiles has been employed to enhance productivity and lower the production cost. Industrial production of PHA by more than 20 companies has been established worldwide. With the advances in system and synthetic biology, strategies to solve urgent problems that limit the commercialization of PHAs are also discussed.
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