Method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoic acid

A process for causing the intracellular synthesis of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) material from one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs), comprising:

• a) providing one or more non-methane VOCs;
• b) providing one or more first microorganisms capable of metabolizing said one or more VOCs to produce a metabolized compound, wherein said first microorganisms are also capable of metabolizing methane;
• c) providing one or more second microorganisms capable of incorporating a carbon contained within said metabolized compound into a PHA material, wherein said second microorganisms are non-methanotrophic PHA-synthesizing microorganisms;
• d) providing a growth-culture medium that regulates the metabolism of said one or more first microorganisms and said one or more second microorganisms;
• e) exposing said one or more first microorganisms in said growth-culture medium to said one or more VOCs, thereby causing or allowing said one or more first microorganisms to convert said one or more VOCs into said metabolized compound;
• f) increasing the availability of copper and/or iron to said one or more first microorganisms to cause said one or more first microorganisms to produce particulate methane monooxygenase;
• g) contacting said metabolized compound with said second microorganisms;
• and
• h) manipulating said growth-culture medium to cause or allow said one or more second microorganisms to use said carbon contained within said metabolized compound for the intracellular synthesis of said PHA material.