polyhydroxyvalerate
pol-ee-high-DROK-see-val-er-ate
Definition
A type of biopolymer (polyester) produced by certain microorganisms as a carbon and energy storage material, which acts as a building block for bioplastics.
Etymology
The name is a chemical compound term: 'poly-' (many), 'hydroxy' (containing a hydroxyl group), and 'valerate' (derived from valeric acid, which is named after the valerian plant).
In the news
In the article, polyhydroxyvalerate is described as part of a mixed polymer stored by the sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that live beneath the skin of gutless marine worms. Researchers studied how the worm’s enzymes break down this stored polymer to access the carbon energy trapped inside.
A marine worm with no mouth and no gut makes its own enzyme for digesting the bioplastic its skin bacteria build up, and the same kind of enzyme turned up in 66 more animal species across nine phyla, from a sponge to an earthworm to a springtail
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com