A new publication, co-authored by catalaix core team member Prof. Dr. Lars M. Blank from the Institute of Applied Microbiology, presents an innovative strategy for developing sustainable, high-performance thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs). This work demonstrates how biotechnology and polymer chemistry can jointly create a genuine alternative to petroleum-based plastics and opens up new perspectives for a sustainable plastics economy. By combining biotechnology and green polymer chemistry, the paper shows how renewable carbon sources, including biomass and even plastic waste, can be upcycled into high-quality TPU materials with excellent thermal and mechanical properties.

At the heart of this work is bio-based betulin: produced with genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), it is used for polymer chain extension to improve stability, recyclability, and phase separation, enabling controllable polymer architecture and enhanced material properties. This work demonstrates a new path towards circular bio-based polymer systems that replace fossil building blocks, thus paving the way for a sustainable materials economy – a goal our catalaix team is passionately pursuing.

Read the publication here:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014305725001971?via%3Dihub