Strategies to Obtain Designer Polymers Based on Cyanobacterial Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS)

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2019

Authors

Pereira, SB (Author) Other; Sousa, A (Author) Other; Santos, M (Author) Other; Araujo, M (Author) Other; Serodio, F (Author) Other; Granja, P (Author) Other; Paula Tamagnini (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: International Journal Of Molecular Sciences

Vol. 20

Final page: 5693

ISSN: 1661-6596

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 30 Citations

Scopus - 30 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-BY5

DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225693

Abstract (EN): Biopolymers derived from polysaccharides are a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to the synthetic counterparts available in the market. Due to their distinctive properties, the cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), mainly composed of heteropolysaccharides, emerge as a valid alternative to address several biotechnological and biomedical challenges. Nevertheless, biotechnological/biomedical applications based on cyanobacterial EPS have only recently started to emerge. For the successful exploitation of cyanobacterial EPS, it is important to strategically design the polymers, either by genetic engineering of the producing strains or by chemical modification of the polymers. This requires a better understanding of the EPS biosynthetic pathways and their relationship with central metabolism, as well as to exploit the available polymer functionalization chemistries. Considering all this, we provide an overview of the characteristics and biological activities of cyanobacterial EPS, discuss the challenges and opportunities to improve the amount and/or characteristics of the polymers, and report the most relevant advances on the use of cyanobacterial EPS as scaffolds, coatings, and vehicles for drug delivery.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 18