The P4SB project (From Plastic waste to Plastic value using Pseudomonas Putida Synthetic Biology) was launched on 28th and 29th of April 2015 at the University RWTH in Aachen (Germany) who is coordinator of this new project from the UE program Horizon 2020. The Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) participates in this project that is granted with more than € 7 million. The CIB is represented by the group of Dr. Auxiliadora Prieto (Head of the Polymer Biotechnology Group) from the Department of Environmental Biology. This project involves 11 partners from 5 countries (France (3), Germany (3), Ireland (2), Spain (2) and United Kingdom (1)) including 7 partners from the academy and 4 from the industry. The objective of P4SB is to establish a platform that integrates the production of bioplastics (PHA, polyhydroxyalkanoates) by the transformation of petrochemical-based plastic wastes. The bacterium Pseudomonas putida is the key player microorganism. It naturally produces bioplastics and will be optimized for the p4BS project by synthetic biology based strategies. With the biotransformation of pollutant plastics (oil-based) into bioplastics the carbon recycling chain is complete and closed. In this sense, P4SB will support the EU´s recycling targets till 2020.
More information at https://twitter.com/P4SB_Biotech and also at https://www.facebook.com/pseudomonasputida