Scientists use cariogenic bacteria to develop new high temperature resistant resin materials

The team led by Makoto Yoshida (Microbiology), Associate Professor of the Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, recently announced that they have successfully developed a new type of resin material using the enzymes produced by cariogenic bacteria.

This new material not only has strong heat resistance, but also has high strength, which can be used as a new type of plastic and synthetic fiber.

Caries-causing bacteria use various enzymes to decompose and synthesize sugar in the human mouth, and produce sticky tartar through high-molecular polysaccharides.

Associate Professor Makoto Yoshida cooperated with the team of the University of Tokyo to focus on cariogenic bacterial enzymes that can produce unique structural macromolecular polysaccharides, by implanting genes capable of producing the enzymes in E. coli , so that the secretion of this enzyme was greatly increased, and a new type of high molecular polysaccharide was successfully synthesized.

After processing this high-molecular polysaccharide into resin, it was found that this new material can not only withstand high temperatures of about 300 degrees, but also is very tough. More heat-resistant than PET resin and nylon commonly used to make beverage bottles.

Associate Professor Makoto Yoshida said that this new material can be called a plastic made from granulated sugar by harnessing the power of cariogenic bacteria. He also expressed the hope that this material with excellent performance can be mass-produced and commercialized as soon as possible