The article “Bacterial cellulose: Strategies for its production in the context of bioeconomy”, produced by a team of researchers from the Fermented Products Microbiology Laboratory (Fermico), coordinated by Professor José Guilherme Prado Martin, was one of the most downloaded articles on the Journal of Basic Microbiology website. The data refers to the first 12 months after the text was published in 2022. The work evaluates and presents alternatives for the production of bacterial cellulose, which is seen as a cheaper and more sustainable substitute for traditional vegetable cellulose.

“I think this work has aroused so much interest because it represents a real possibility of helping industry. If I have a material that can be cheaper or easier to produce, that helps a lot. Another important point, I believe, is the robustness of our article, which is a multidisciplinary work,” says André da Silva Rocha, first author of the text and PhD from the Graduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology. “We had a vision more focused on industry in the context of the bioeconomy, a vision more focused on the biochemical and microbiological part of the process. This means that people from different areas are able to identify things in the work that interest them, whether for the production of their academic work or even for the use and production of bacterial cellulose.”

According to André, interest in bacterial cellulose is also growing due to the fact that its production is more ecologically viable, a characteristic that is increasingly important for a large group of consumers and, consequently, for industry. “Both vegetable and bacterial cellulose need to be pre-treated. But the products used in this process, in the case of the bacterial version, are much less aggressive to nature,” he explains. In addition, among the ways of producing this cellulose is the possibility of using industrial waste – especially brewer’s yeast and corn and oat materials – which doubly benefits the process, since it reuses materials that would otherwise be discarded, generating potential environmental impacts.

In the text, the authors explore the biosynthesis pathways in different carbon sources for the main producing microorganisms, as well as the metabolic flow under different growth conditions and its influence on the structural and functional characteristics of cellulose. In addition, the main industrial applications and ways of reducing costs and optimizing production using alternative sources, such as industrial waste, are discussed. “Our aim is precisely to contribute to understanding how to make it feasible for bacterial cellulose to enter the market more effectively.” Today, this cellulose is used by the pharmaceutical and fashion industries to a significant degree, but still has a timid entry into markets with great potential, such as the food industry.

In addition to André and Professor Guilherme, the article is signed by researcher Bárbara Venturim, also a member of the Fermico team, Professor Wendel da Silveira, from the Laboratory of Microorganism Physiology at UFV, and researchers Elena Ellwanger and Caroline Pagnan, from the Graduate Program in Design at the State University of Minas Gerais (UEMG).