Upcycling of plastic waste to recombinant silk proteins via pseudomonas bacteria

Abstract

Customized recombinant proteins are designed and produced by cultures of Pseudomonas bacteria, including natural and recombinant silk proteins, fluorescent proteins, and elastin-like proteins (ELPs). The recombinant genes can be expressed via insertion directly into the Pseudomonas bacteria, or via the transformation of a suitably designed recombinant plasmid. Advantageously, the carbon source used as the nutrient source by the Pseudomonas bacteria is derived from non-traditional nutrient sources, such as exogenous rhamnolipids, hydrocarbons, polyolefins, polyesters, and pyrolysis products of waste plastic, e.g., pyrolysis products of polyethylene or poly(ethylene terephthalate). The waste feedstocks can be added to particularly designed growth media for sustained bacterial culture and protein production. These feedstocks allow for upcycling of plastic waste into high value protein products, such as recombinant silk fibroins.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.