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Spanish researchers develop biodegradable PHB from potato starch in simple 24-hour process

July 6, 2026 |

In Spain, a study led by the University of Barcelona has produced a biodegradable bioplastic of high industrial value — polyhydroxybutyrate or PHB — from unprocessed potato starch in a single 24-hour step, a strategic breakthrough that could help reduce dependence on oil and the volume of persistent plastic waste.

The study thus establishes that the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a robust platform of great industrial interest for producing PHB — a biodegradable biopolymer derived from renewable sources — from potato starch, an abundant and low-cost agricultural by-product.

The paper, published in the journal Bioresource Technology, is led by Pere Picart, a professor at the UB’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, with significant contributions from Mercedes Berlanga, from the same faculty and the UB’s Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio).

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Category: Research

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