ABSTRACT
Biopolyester produced by microorganisms has many useful properties for commercial and environmental applications. Poly(3-hydroxyalkonates) [poly(HA)s] and poly (â -malate) are among the best known biopolyesters produced by microor-ganisms. Poly(HA)s having a wide variety of repeating units can be produced by bacteria and they all posses very high biodegradability and biocompatibility. Poly (â -malate) is especially of interest for biomedical applications including drug delivery systems. During the last 20 yrs a large volume of research work has focused on the physiology, biochemistry and applications of poly(HA)s. In this review, the biochemical basis of bacterial production, the biodegradation properties and applications of poly(HA)s are considered.
