Biosynthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by engineered Halomonas bluephagenesis

Jiangnan Chen; Huan Wang; Zhenghao Xu; Yiling Chen; Shi Mu; Shaowei Li; Fuqing Wu; Fang Yang; Guo-Qiang Chen

doi:10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100227

The Innovation Life > 2026 Vol. 4 > No. 3 > 100227

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Biosynthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by engineered Halomonas bluephagenesis

1.
School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
2.
PhaBuilder Biotech Co. Ltd., Shunyi District, Zhaoquan Ying, Beijing 101309, China
3.
Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
4.
Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
5.
MOE Key Lab of Industrial Biocatalysis, Dept Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

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Corresponding authors: chengq@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn (G.C.); yangfang@phabuilder.com (FY); wufuqing@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn (F.W.)
Received Date: November 14, 2025

Accepted Date: May 28, 2026

Published Online: June 01, 2026

The Innovation Life 4(3), https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100227 | Cite this article

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PUBLIC SUMMARY
1. Biosynthesis of P(3HB-co-LA-co-3HV) was achieved in recombinant Halomonas.
  
  Various P(3HB-co-LA-co-3HV) were produced from glucose and valerate.
  
  Halomonas CJN28 was grown to 62 g L⁻¹ CDW containing 86wt% P(3HB-23 mol% LA-25 mol% 3HV).
  
  Thermal and mechanical properties of various P(3HB-co-LA-co-3HV) were characterized.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Halomonas bluephagenesis (H. bluephagenesis) was metabolically engineered to efficiently synthesize a biopolymer composed of three monomers—3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), lactate (LA), and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV)—using glucose as the carbon source. In shake-flask cultures with glucose-sodium valerate as the carbon source, the recombinant strain produced 9.48 g L^-1 of P(3HB-co-12.92 mol% LA-co-40.48 mol% 3HV). By knocking down 11 genes related to the β-oxidation cycle, the composition of the terpolymer was controllable. In a 7-L bioreactor, H. bluephagenesis CJN28 reached 61.65 g L^-1 cell dry weight (CDW containing 85.64 wt% P(3HB-co-22.51 mol% LA-co-25.34 mol% 3HV). Both H. bluephagenesis CJN28 and its cytoskeletal protein MreB-knockdown mutant H. bluephagenesis CJN28△mreB (exhibiting significant cell enlargement) demonstrated better capability to synthesize P(3HB-co-LA-co-3HV) when cultured with glucose and gradient concentrations of sodium valerate. Thermal and mechanical studies revealed that the terpolymer exhibited higher ductility compared to P3HB and PLA. This study marks the first attempt of microbial production of P(3HB-co-LA-co-3HV) with enhanced efficiency for scale up.
- PHB /
- Lactide /
- Terpolymer /
- PHA /
- Halomonas /
- Metabolic engineering

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Chen J., Wang H., Xu Z., et al. (2026). Biosynthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by engineered Halomonas bluephagenesis. The Innovation Life 4:100227. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100227

Chen J., Wang H., Xu Z., et al. (2026). Biosynthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by engineered Halomonas bluephagenesis. The Innovation Life 4:100227. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100227

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Biosynthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by engineered Halomonas bluephagenesis

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

PUBLIC SUMMARY

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