Bacterial cellulose

Bacterial cellulose (BC), also called microbial cellulose, is the same basic beta-1,4-linked glucose polymer as plant cellulose, but is made by bacterial cells. It is commonly obtained as a network of fine cellulose nanofibres. Unlike cellulose extracted from plant tissues, BC can be produced without lignin, hemicellulose and pectin, giving the material a high-purity starting form. Its interconnected network can hold substantial water and has attracted interest as a flexible, biocompatible and biodegradable material.

Several bacterial groups can produce cellulose. The well-studied organism historically called Acetobacter xylinum, later Gluconacetobacter xylinus and now generally placed as Komagataeibacter xylinus, is a prominent producer and research model. Cellulose synthase complexes build and export the polymer; in many studied bacteria, BcsA and BcsB form the central catalytic machinery, while other proteins can influence production, export and fibre organization. Production conditions and microbial strain affect yield and the properties of the resulting material.

BC is produced by fermentation, including static and agitated processes. Research and commercial applications draw on its fibre network, water retention and material properties. Reported uses include nata de coco and other food products, personal-care and household products, wound-care and other biomedical materials, textiles and composite materials. Each application requires suitable processing and evaluation; promising material properties alone do not establish clinical effectiveness or suitability for every use.

Scaling production involves balancing fermentation productivity, feedstock and process costs, reproducibility and the desired material characteristics. Researchers investigate alternative substrates, strain improvement, reactor design and downstream processing. The field also distinguishes bacterial cellulose itself from plant-derived nanocellulose: both are cellulose, but their production routes, purity and assembled structures can differ.