Pukyong National University

Pukyong National University Undergraduates Present Feasibility of Commercializing Biodegradable Plastic Raw Material ‘3-HP’

-Paper Published in International Journal <Process Biochemistry>

Pukyong National University (President Bae Sang-hoon) announced that undergraduate students from the Department of Chemical Engineering proposed a new synthesis method for the commercialization of ‘3-HP,’ a compound that is gaining attention as a raw material for biodegradable plastics.

The senior students from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Cho Han-Joo, Koo Byeong-Soo, and Jeon Min-Kyung, recently published their paper titled ‘In vitro enzymatic production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from glycerol via CoA-independent pathway (supervised by Professor Lim Seong-In) in the SCIE-level international journal <Process Biochemistry> Volume 149(2025).

In their paper, the students introduced a new approach for the production of 3-HP through a sequential reaction of two enzymes (GDHt and KGSADH) in vitro.

3-HP is a versatile, high-value compound recognized for its environmental and economic benefits, but it struggles with commercialization due to low productivity and yield. The current microbial fermentation production method for 3-HP is limited by the cytotoxicity of the intermediate product (3-HPA), which inhibits the production of 3-HP. Furthermore, the cost of purifying 3-HP to a high degree of purity from culture broth, which contains a large amount of waste, is also considerable.

To address these issues, both academia and industry have attempted various approaches to the cultivation and purification of 3-HP. However, the students at Pukyong National University have taken a new approach by conducting the research in vitro, rather than relying on cells.

They successfully optimized the recombinant expression and purification of the enzymes GDHt and KGSADH, which are used in 3-HP synthesis, under optimal conditions. By precisely measuring the activity of each enzyme and presenting quantitative activity indicators, they demonstrated the quality of the purified enzymes. Through the sequential reaction of these two enzymes in vitro, they synthesized 3-HP from glycerol, overcoming the production inhibition caused by the intermediate product (3-HPA).

Professor Im Seong-in, the research advisor, stated, “This study is significant because it demonstrates the potential for large-scale production of 3-HP in vitro. It addresses the challenges of 3-HPA accumulation and cytotoxicity, which have hindered 3-HP production through microbial fermentation, and simplifies the product separation process, laying the groundwork for an economical 3-HP biosynthesis process.”

Student Jo Han-ju commented, “As an undergraduate intern in the laboratory, I went through many trials and errors, but I’m thrilled that the team worked together and persevered to successfully express the enzymes. Moving forward, I will continue additional research, improve the issues with the in vitro production system, and integrate various technologies to contribute to the commercialization of 3-HP in Korea.” <Pukyong Today>