Lemoigne, Maurice

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) is a biopolymer produced by numerous bacteria in nature as an intercellular carbon and energy reserve and belongs to the class of poly (hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs). In 1925, the French microbiologist Maurice Lemoigne discovered and characterized PHB extracted from Bacillus megaterium. However, it is produced by a various number of microorganisms such as Cupriavidus necator or Ralstonia eutroph. PHAs are biodegradable polyesters with a structure as shown in Fig. 1. 

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters that were first isolated and characterized in 1925 by French microbiologist Maurice Lemoigne. They are produced by microorganisms (e.g. Alcaligenes eutrophus mdBacillus megaterium) in response... 

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a family of polyesters produced by bacterial fermentation, with the potential to replace conventional hydrocarbon-based polymers. PHAs occur naturally in a variety of organisms, but the microorganisms can be employed to tailor their production in cells. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), the simplest PHA, was discovered in 1926 by Maurice Lemoigne as a constituent of the bacterimn Bacillus megaterium [31]. 

Initially world came to know about PHB by discovery of Maurice Lemoigne of the Pasteur Institute, Paris in 1925 while xtAyingBacillus megaterium (Lemoigne, 1925). When PHB was extracted from the bacteria it crystallizes to form a polymer with similar properties to polypropylene as shown in Table 2 and is a biodegradable substitute for thermoplastics. The PHB is accirmirlated as a carbon reserve imder nutrient limitation. 

From the simple PHB homopolymers discovered by Maurice Lemoigne in the mid-twenties, a family of over 100 different aliphatic polyesters of the some general structure has been identified (Lenz and Marchessault, 2005 Steinbiichel, 2003). The main features are reported in Figure 3. 

Among the naturally occurring PHAs, the best known is the polyhydroxybutyric acid, which is commonly abbreviated as poly(3HB) or PHB. The discovery of poly(3HB) in bacteria is attributed to Maurice Lemoigne of the Pasteur Institute, who in 1925 reported the presence of 3-hydroxybutyric acid in the... 

Polyhydroxyalkanoate is a polyester identified in 1925 by the microbiologist Maurice Lemoigne. It can be synthesised by various bacteria (Alcaligenes Eutrophus, cyanobacteria). Lower concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus sources increase the yield and the quality of the polymers produced (Steinbiichel, 2002). There are numerous potential applications for PHA (cosmetics containers, disposable articles, medical implants, paper coatings). Moreover, PHA can be formulated in many grades, from elastic products to crystalline ones, it is a good candidate for blends and easy to process with traditional equipment (Whitehouse, 2000). 

Polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHA are thermoplastics produced by bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. Maurice Lemoigne, Director of the Fermentation Laboratory of the Pastenr Institnte in Lille, France, first isolated and characterized the simplest and most commonly occnrring polyester of PHA, poly-3-hydroxybu-tyrate, PHB or poly(3HB) represented in Figure 8.16, in the 1920s [13]. 

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