[P004] Poster

1:00 PM - 1:50 PM JST(4:00 AM - 4:50 AM UTC)

[P02-282] Development of Cell-Plastics from Hydrophobically Modified Microbial Cells for Utilizing Unused Biomass Residues in Rural Japan

○Akihito Nakanishi¹, Takeshi Matsui², jun Isii¹ (1. Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University (Japan), 2. School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology (Japan))

Keywords:

Cell-plastics,Hydrophobic Modification,Biomass Residues

This study proposes a novel fabrication strategy for “cell-plastics,” in which hydrophobically modified microbial cells are directly utilized as structural materials, aiming at the effective utilization of underutilized biomass residues in rural regions of Japan. A wide variety of biomass resources, such as agricultural residues and food-processing by-products, are generated in Japan; however, most of them are currently disposed of through incineration or used for low-value applications such as composting, and their advanced material utilization remains limited.In this study, microbial cells, particularly unicellular green algae, are explored as direct structural materials. Green algae can proliferate using carbon dioxide as a carbon source, making them a sustainable and renewable biomass resource. However, their inherently hydrophilic cell surfaces exhibit poor compatibility with hydrophobic polymers, resulting in insufficient interfacial interactions and limited performance in composite materials. To address this issue, we investigate a surface modification strategy targeting amino groups on the cell surface. Hydrophobic functional molecules bearing succinimidyl groups are employed to introduce hydrophobic moieties, such as long-chain alkyl groups, onto the cell surface via chemical modification. This hydrophobization enhances interfacial affinity between microbial cells and hydrophobic polymer matrices. The modified cells are subsequently recovered as dried powders and compounded with biodegradable polymers such as polycaprolactone to fabricate cell-containing plastic materials. A key advantage of this approach lies in the direct utilization of cellular structures without converting biomass into monomers through conventional processes such as saccharification, fermentation, and polymerization. This enables simplification of production processes and reduction of energy consumption. Furthermore, this strategy is highly compatible with decentralized material production systems that utilize locally available biomass and microbial resources. It has the potential to promote regional resource circulation, reduce transportation costs, and mitigate environmental impacts. Overall, the development of cell-plastics based on hydrophobically modified microbial cells represents a promising approach for the high-value utilization of unused biomass residues and the realization of sustainable, distributed material production systems in Japan.