Polymer design is being reshaped by demands for low-carbon fabrication and bioactive/living function. We trace the bidirectional interface between microbes and polymers. First, we analyze how microbes synthesize polymers like polysaccharides, polyesters, and proteins and how post-synthesis processing (via mechanical and/or chemical treatments) reshapes molecular architecture and mechanical and thermal properties. We compare reported properties, highlight missing metrics, and evaluate sustainability levers including solvent recovery, cradle-to-gate impacts, and biodegradation/biocontainment constraints. Second, we examine how polymers shape the behavior of living organisms in the context of engineered living materials. Design is organized around four axes—regulating adhesion and detachment, sustaining or directing growth for regeneration, imposing spatial organization on consortia, and tuning phenotype—with implementations in drug delivery, carbon capture, antimicrobial screening, and structural composites. Finally, we outline how automation, artificial intelligence–guided experimentation, and robust sustainability metrics can couple performance with responsible deployment.
Amorim et al. (Fri,) studied this question.