BBAU scientist receives patent for low-cost bioplastic made from cow dung

Lucknow: Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University's School of Earth and Environmental Science associate professor, Ravi Gupta, was awarded a 20-year patent from the Indian govt for his method of producing low-cost bioplastic using cow dung and novel bacteria.
"Petroleum-based synthetic plastic is one of the most widely used materials in daily life, leading to the accumulation of non-degradable waste that remains in environment for thousands of years and contributes to plastic pollution. Many species suffer due to plastic-induced pollution, which is also a leading cause of global warming," Gupta said.
He said there is a need to protect environment from plastic pollution through the use of biodegradable materials. Biodegradable materials with plastic-like properties were previously made from biomass such as sugarcane, corn, wheat, rice, and banana peels, among others. Similar desirable properties are found in polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) synthesised by microorganisms. Various bacteria were found to produce PHBs, which are used as bioplastic candidates, but high production costs and expensive raw materials have limited commercial applications.
"Our study systematically screens and characterises PHB-accumulating bacteria to make PHB production cost-effective. We developed a modified cow dung-based medium for bacterial growth, reducing bioplastic production costs by approximately 200 times compared to commercially available PHB. We filed an Indian patent in 2023, and after thorough scrutiny, the Patent Office, Government of India, issued a 20-year patent certificate," he said.