Patent ID: 8313647

Claim:
A method of isolating carotenoids, neutral lipids, and omega-3 fatty acids from algae, comprising: a. providing an algal culture comprising intact algal cells; b. dewatering said algal culture to make a wet algal biomass comprising intact algal cells; c. adding a first solvent set to the wet algal biomass in a ratio of about 1 part first solvent set to about 1 part algal biomass by weight to generate an extraction mixture comprising a first solid phase and a first liquid phase comprising proteins; d. separating the first solid phase from the first liquid phase; e. combining the first solid phase with a second solvent set in a ratio of about 1 part second solvent set to about 1 part first solid phase by weight to generate an extraction mixture comprising a second solid phase and a second liquid phase comprising polar lipids; f. separating the second solid phase from the second liquid phase; g. combining the second solid phase with a third solvent in a ratio of about 1 part ethanol to about 1 part second solid biomass by weight to generate an extraction mixture comprising a third solid phase, comprising carbohydrates, and a third liquid phase comprising neutral lipids, omega-3 fatty acids, and carotenoids; h. separating the third solid phase from the third liquid phase, wherein the first liquid phase has a higher protein concentration than the second and third liquid phases, the second liquid phase has a higher polar lipids concentration than the first and third liquid phases, and the third liquid phase has a higher neutral lipids concentration than the first and second liquid phases; and i. separating the carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids from the remaining neutral lipids.