Science and Technology Week of Región de Murcia (Secyt22)

On 23rd October 2022, the Science and Technology Week of Región de Murcia (Secyt22) was celebrated with more than 450 activities and the participation of 500 research scientists. The motto of the week was ‘It was fiction now it’s science’.

CETEC organized the “MAKING BIODEGRADABLE and BIO-BASED PLASTICS FROM WASTE“ activity to communicate the upPE-T project

The activity’s objective was to perform an EXHIBITION OF THE STAGES OF THE PHA PRODUCTION PROCESS. The production of PHAs consists of three stages: (a) Fermentation, (b) Extraction and Purification. In the fermentation process, biomass growth occurs, and PHA is synthesised and accumulated. Subsequently, the polymer is extracted and recovered from the cells, and finally, its purification is carried out. In this activity, the stages of the PHA production process that are carried out at CETEC were shown. Crops, photographs, biomass obtained, films obtained by this procedure, etc., were exhibited.

The public was able to see how the different stages are carried out in the laboratory to obtain these bio-based and biodegradable plastics from waste from the agri-food industry.