Patent ID: 8318019
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: A61P,B01D,C11B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of dewatering and selectively separating products from a wet algal cell culture, comprised of intact algal cells and water, comprising: a. removing a portion of the water from a wet algal cell culture to obtain a first wet algal biomass fraction having a lower water content than the algal cell culture, and a first liquid fraction comprising water, the algal cells of the first wet algal biomass fraction having a quantity of chlorophyll; b. mixing a first water miscible solvent set, comprising one or more solvents, with the first wet algal biomass fraction to generate a first dewatering mixture comprised of a second liquid fraction comprising water and a second wet algal biomass fraction, wherein the second wet algal biomass fraction comprises intact algal cells, and the algal cells of the second algal biomass fraction contain about the same quantity of chlorophyll as the algal cells of the first wet algal biomass fraction, and the second wet algal biomass fraction has a lower water content than the wet algal cell culture; c. separating the second liquid fraction from the second wet algal biomass fraction; d. mixing a second water miscible solvent set, comprising one or more solvents, with the second wet algal biomass fraction to generate a second dewatering mixture comprised of a third liquid fraction comprising water and a third wet algal biomass fraction; e. separating the third liquid fraction from the third wet algal biomass, wherein the third wet algal biomass has a lower water content than the second wet algal biomass and comprises intact algal cells; f. combining a the third wet algal biomass with an amphiphilic solvent set, the solvent set comprising one or more amphiphilic solvents, to make a first extraction mixture, wherein the weight of the amphiphilic solvent set is about the same as the weight of the wet algal biomass; g. separating the first extraction mixture into a first liquid extraction phase comprising proteins and a first residual solid phase; h. combining the first residual solid phase with an amphiphilic solvent set to make a second extraction mixture, wherein the weight of the amphiphilic solvent set is about the same as the weight of the first residual solid phase; i. separating the second extraction mixture into a second liquid extraction phase comprising polar lipids and a second residual solid phase; j. combining the second residual solid phase with an amphiphilic solvent set to make a third extraction mixture, wherein the weight of the amphiphilic solvent set is about the same as the weight of the second residual solid phase; k. separating the third extraction mixture into a third liquid extraction phase comprising neutral lipids and a third residual solid phase, wherein the first liquid extraction phase has a higher protein concentration than the second and third liquid extraction phases, the second liquid extraction phase has a higher polar lipids concentration than the first and third liquid extraction phases, and the third liquid phase has a higher neutral lipids concentration than the first and second liquid extraction phases.