How silicone membrane extraction improves bioplastic production from cheese whey

This study presents a novel four-stage process for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from nutrient-rich sheep cheese whey. A silicone membrane-based volatile fatty acid (VFA) extraction step was integrated to tailor carbon-to-nitrogen ratios for microbial selection and PHA accumulation. This innovation increased the maximum PHA content from 28% to 37% (w/w) and doubled the storage yield. The process offers an efficient strategy to valorize dairy waste into high-value bioplastics through the integration of bioprocess and selective separation technologies, contributing to circular resource recovery and bioeconomy