NOVEL POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE COPOLYMER CONTAINING IN MOLECULE UNIT WITH VINYLPHENYL STRUCTURE IN ITS SIDE CHAIN AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

A polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) having a desired configuration is produced using a raw material containing omega-(4-vinylphenyl)-alkanoic acid and omega-substituted alkanoic acid in which a group having a ring structure selected from phenyl, thienyl, and cyclohexyl structures substitutes therefor on the end thereof by producing a PHA copolymer containing the corresponding 3-hydroxy-omega-(4-vinylphenyl)-alkanoate unit and the corresponding 3-hydroxy-omega-substituted alkanoate unit by making use of a microorganism capable of producing the PHA or by oxidizing a predetermined portion of the corresponding PHA.