Kelheim Fibres and Hohenstein Institute celebrate biopolymer project success
27/07/2016
Called AlBioTex, the project also involved research body the Hohenstein Institute and biotech company BRAIN AG. It involved developing wound dressings from bacterial alginate, a biopolymer (polysaccharide) that consists of the glycosidically bonded monomers, guluronic and mannuronic acid. It used a bacterium from soil, Azotobacter vinelandii, as the source of the biopolymer.
Alginate is particularly suitable for use in wound dressings, the project partners have said, because of its “excellent biocompatibility, enormous liquid-absorption capacity and good healing properties”.
Work on the project began in 2013 and led to the development of customised alginates that are particularly suitable for producing fibres for use in medical products. In a pilot production facility, the research partners were able to spin fibres from alginate and alginate-viscose and turn them into wound dressings.
“Our goal for the future is to identify other areas of application for bacterial alginate and so open up new sales markets for customised special alginates,” said Dr Daniela Beck, Kelheim Fibres’ project manager.
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