Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are promising biodegradable and biocompatible bioplastics that are produced by a wide diversity of bacteria. The PHA production from different Paraburkholderia and Burkholderia bacteria was reviewed to select the most representative organisms to conduct comparative genomics analyses. A genome-based metabolic reconstruction for the synthesis of PHAs from carbohydrates and fatty acids was performed, revealing high gene and pathway redundance for the synthesis of PHAs from sugars and fatty acids. Representative Paraburkholderia and Burkholderia are interesting organisms for the synthesis of PHAs from conventional as non-conventional and low-cost substrates. The properties of the produced PHAs were reviewed and the biomedical and biotechnological applications of bacterial PHAs were detailed. The potential for the usage of PHAs for their applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery applications was assessed.