Ashokkumar Kumaravel, Shin-Ping Lin, Shella Permatasari Santoso, Saranya Shanmugasundaram, Hsien-Yi Hsu, Chang-Wei Hsieh, Yu-Chieh Chou, Hui-Wen Lin, Kuan-Chen Cheng
In recent years, bacterial cellulose (BC), a crystalline and nanoscale fibrillar polymer, has garnered significant interest due to its superior physical, chemical, and mechanical properties compared to plant cellulose. Inherent features of BC, which include high biodegradability, mechanical strength, and biocompatibility, make it a suitable material for use in a wide variety of applications, particularly in the domains of biomedicine and environmental science. However, realizing its full potential requires targeted chemical or physical modifications. Recent developments have focused on in-situ and ex-situ BC modification for various applications. Incorporating functional compounds into cellulose during BC synthesis enhances its strength and functional properties. Additionally, the material properties of BC, such as water content, thermal stability, and antibacterial capabilities, can be enhanced through post-synthesis modifications, including chemical acetylation, phosphorylation, and integration with other biopolymers. Currently, the applicability of BC is being improved using new modification techniques, which involve genetically engineered strains to enhance polymer characteristics and market potential. The review highlights recent advancements in BC research and novel modification strategies that enhance its applications in advanced biomedical engineering and sustainable packaging. © 2025
Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Daan District, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan; School of Food Safety, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan; Chemical Engineering Master Program, Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, Kalijudan 37, Surabaya, 60114, Indonesia; Collaborative Research Center for Zero Waste and Sustainability, Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, Kalijudan 37, Surabaya, 60114, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya, Kalijudan 37, Surabaya, 60114, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan, 93 Daehak-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan, 44610, South Korea; School of Energy and Environment, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong; Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China; Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung City, 40227, Taiwan; Department of Food Science, National Ilan University, Yilan City, 260007, Taiwan; Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 40201, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40201, Taiwan; Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 10607, Taiwan; Department of Optometry, Asia University, 500 Lioufeng Rd., Wufeng, Taichung, 41350, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan; Department of Food Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, 510 Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang Dist., New Taipei City, 242062, Taiwan