PEG-PLA from PolySciTech used for bacteria-mediated environmental clean-up

In addition to biomedical applications, several researchers have applied Polyscitech division of Akina, Inc. (www.polyscitech.com) products to environmental and industrial applications. Recently, PEG-PLA (PolyVivo cat# AK021) was used to encapsulate living Bacillus subtilis inside a double-emulsion particle. The bacteria grew nicely inside the polymer membrane which allowed permeation through the membrane. The encapsulated bacteria worked to actively convert hazardous waste-product sodium selenite into less-toxic elemental selenium. This research holds promise to improve environmental clean-up and waste-water remediation.

Read more: Barlow, Jacob, Kevin Gozzi, Chase P. Kelley, Benjamin M. Geilich, Thomas J. Webster, Yunrong Chai, Srinivas Sridhar, and Anne L. van de Ven. "High throughput microencapsulation of Bacillus subtilis in semi-permeable biodegradable polymersomes for selenium remediation." Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (2016): 1-10. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-016-7896-7

“Abstract: Encapsulating bacteria within constrained microenvironments can promote the manifestation of specialized behaviors. Using double-emulsion droplet-generating microfluidic synthesis, live Bacillus subtilis bacteria were encapsulated in a semi-permeable membrane composed of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(d,l-lactic acid) (mPEG-PDLLA). This polymer membrane was sufficiently permeable to permit exponential bacterial growth, metabolite-induced gene expression, and rapid biofilm growth. The biodegradable microparticles retained structural integrity for several days and could be successfully degraded with time or sustained bacterial activity. Microencapsulated B. subtilis successfully captured and contained sodium selenite added outside the polymersomes, converting the selenite into elemental selenium nanoparticles that were selectively retained inside the polymer membrane. This remediation of selenium using polymersomes has high potential for reducing the toxicity of environmental selenium contamination, as well as allowing selenium to be harvested from areas not amenable to conventional waste or water treatment. Keywords: Microparticles Microfluidics Double-emulsion Bacteria Biofilm Selenite Nanoparticles”