Description

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable biopolymer on earth. Besides being in the cell wall of plants, it can be synthesized by some bacteria and animals. Due to its structure or hierarchical organization, has unique properties such as biodegradability, recyclability, renewability and biocompatibility, making it suitable as nanobiomaterial in a context of environmental sustainability. Nanocellulose obtained by bacterial production, is identical to that produce by plants, although there are significant differences with respect to their structural conformation and properties. One is its high purity, and its high crystallinity and their production at high yields. The main objective of this project is to develop new methods and strategies for the synthesis and preparation of crystalline nanocellulose obtained from bacterial cellulose that can be used in the biomedical, pharmaceutical electronics and food applications, among others. Nanocellulose bacterial synthesis is performed by using sustainable methods, using biotechnology techniques that will advance the research of metabolic pathways capable of synthesizing biodegradable and biocompatible nanocellulose, using natural raw materials (such as agro- waste for bacterial growth) and bacteria with a high production capacity of biopolymers.