Patent ID: 8329036

Claim:
A method of selectively separating products from a wet algal biomass comprised of intact algal cells, the method comprising: a. providing a wet algal biomass; b. adding a first solvent set, to generate a first extraction mixture comprising a first liquid phase and a first solid phase, wherein the first liquid phase comprises between about 35% to about 50% water; c. separating at least a portion of the first liquid phase from the first solid phase, wherein the first solid phase comprises intact algal cells; d. combining the first solid phase with a second solvent set, to generate a second extraction mixture comprising a second liquid phase and a second solid phase, wherein the second liquid phase comprises between about 15% to about 25% water and is less polar than the first liquid phase; e. separating at least a portion of the second liquid phase from the second solid phase, wherein the second solid phase comprises intact algal cells; f. combining the second solid phase with a third solvent set, to generate a third extraction mixture comprising a third liquid phase and a third solid phase, wherein the third liquid phase comprises between about 5% and 15% water and is less polar than the first and second liquid phases; and g. separating at least a portion of the third liquid phase from the third solid phase, wherein the third solid phase comprises intact algal cells and the first liquid fraction has a higher protein concentration than the second and third liquid fractions, the second liquid fraction has a higher polar lipids concentration than the first and third liquid fractions, and the third liquid fraction has a higher neutral lipids concentration than the first and second liquid fractions.