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Abstract:
Natural polysaccharides are well-known biomaterials because of their
availability and low-cost, with applications in diverse fields.
Cellulose, a renowned polysaccharide, can be obtained from different
sources including plants, algae, and bacteria, but recently much
attention has been paid to the microorganisms due to their potential of
producing renewable compounds. In this regard, bacterial nanocellulose
(BNC) is a novel type of nanocellulose material that is commercially
synthesized mainly by Komagataeibacter spp. Characteristics such as
purity, porosity, and remarkable mechanical properties made BNC a
superior green biopolymer with applications in pharmacology,
biomedicine, bioprocessing, and food. Genetic manipulation of
BNC-producing strains and in situ modifications of the culturing
conditions can lead to BNC with enhanced yield/productivity and
properties. This review mainly highlights the role of genetic
engineering of Komagataeibacter strains and co-culturing of bacterial
strains with additives such as microorganisms and nanomaterials to
synthesize BNC with improved functionality and productivity rate.