Polyamide (PA) materials are widely applied in industry, agriculture, transportation, aerospace, and outdoor sports. Polyamide 54 (PA54) is a short-chain bio-based polyamide synthesized from cadaverine and succinate.
At present, the synthesis of PA54 remains limited to laboratory scale and has not yet achieved large-scale industrial production.The current process relies on biosynthesis, in which two separate microbial cell factories are used to produce high-purity succinate and cadaverine, followed by a subsequent polymerization step. However, this process suffers from several drawbacks, including insufficient carbon dioxide utilization, lengthy and complex workflows, large consumption of acid–base additives, excessive solid waste generation and so on. Therefore, the development of an efficient and green synthesis process for PA54 is of great significance.
Specifically, we plan to engineer Escherichia coli into a single-cell factory capable of simultaneously producing both key monomers by using synthetic biotechnology. Furthermore, we will design metabolic pathway regulation modules, optimize key enzymes, and regulate cofactor balance to improve the overall yield of the PA54 microbial cell factory.
The global polyamide market has shown steady growth. In 2024, its market size reached USD 30.8 billion and is projected to increase to USD 36.6 billion by 2030. Meanwhile, the bio-based polyamide market, as an important emerging sector, is experiencing rapid expansion. Its market size is estimated at USD 399.8 million in 2024 and expected to nearly double to USD 801.6 million by 2030, demonstrating strong growth potential.In terms of market share, bio-based polyamides are projected to increase their proportion in the global polyamide market from approximately 1.30% in 2024 to around 2.19% by 2030. This indicates a promising market outlook for PA54.
We conducted a detailed analysis of the key groups connected to our project to understand how they interact with our work. By mapping these relationships, we identified who is affected by – and can influence – our project. This helps us continuously refine our work to better align with everyone's expectations and needs.
Petroleum-based nylon benefits from a mature supply chain and cost advantages. Downstream manufacturers, who are highly price-sensitive, may prefer these conventional materials. For instance, using bio-based polyamides in industrial applications like new energy battery cases or solar panel frames requires passing material performance tests and industry certifications – a process that typically takes 6-12 months. Many potential clients also have concerns about the long-term stability of these new materials.
Consumers are often reluctant to pay a price premiumfor bio-based products. While end-products can achieve green certifications, this involves additional marketing costs, which can discourage brands from switching to bio-based materials.
The performance and processing of the new material have not yet been deeply developed. Many of the material's properties are still in the exploration phase, which constitutes a core challenge for downstream applications. We need more material experts to focus on key areas such as performance exploration and compounding process optimization, working together to transform the material's potential into reliable market solutions.
Bio-based certification is a process that verifies and confirms the bio-based content of a product, ensuring it meets specific standards through testing and evaluation. This official recognition helps differentiate genuinely sustainable materials in the marketplace.
Currently, we lack the assessment of this aspect. To ensure the long-term sustainable development of the project, we will conduct an evaluation and certification in the future to enhance the market recognition of our product's "biobased" concept.
[1] Global Polyamide Market, 2024–2030 Forecast. Available at: https://www.marketresearch.com/
[2] Applications of Polyamide Materials. Available at: https://www.gfztb.com/en/article/doi/10.14028/j.cnki.1003-3726.2025.24.321/
[3] Consumer Acceptance of Environmental Premiums for Bio-based Materials. Available at: https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/proecov240y2021ics0925527321002243.html