3-Hydroxypropionic acid

3-Hydroxypropionic acid is a three carbon non-chiral compound used as a building block to derive many important industrial chemicals. Studies indicate that 3-Hydroxypropionic acid can be synthesized from glycerol using the recombinant Escherichia coli SH254, which expresses glycerol dehydratase (DhaB) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (AldH). Structurally, the carboxyl group and the β hydroxyl group make 3-Hydroxypropionic acid very reactive. 3-Hydroxypropionic acid is a novel substrate in the production of polymers because this compound produces biodegradable polymers, which can replace existing polymers currently used in industry. Biologically, 3-Hydroxypropionic acid may be used to produce surgical biocomposite material and drug release material.