Ceramic Membrane Microfiltration for Enzyme Separation Yield

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for separating cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes from Trichoderma reesei fungus suffer from enzyme retention issues when using organic membranes, leading to reduced separation yield due to pore sizes being larger than the enzymes, and inefficiencies in current separation processes.

Innovation Solution

A process involving a filter press separation followed by microfiltration on a ceramic membrane, optionally with ultrafiltration on a ceramic membrane, to efficiently separate and concentrate the enzymes, utilizing a ceramic membrane with a cutoff threshold of 0.5 to 1.4 μm for microfiltration and 5 to 15 kDa for ultrafiltration, which significantly improves yield and efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If organic membranes are used for microfiltration, then production cost is reduced, but enzyme retention increases leading to reduced separation yield

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction costVSAvoidseparation yield

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter of the membrane from organic to ceramic/mineral, which fundamentally alters the interaction between the membrane and enzymes. Ceramic membranes have different surface properties and pore structures that prevent enzyme retention while maintaining permeability, thus resolving the contradiction between low cost and high yield.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite ceramic membrane structures with specific pore sizes (0.2-1.0 μm) that combine filtration capability with enzyme compatibility. The ceramic material provides both mechanical strength and biochemical inertness, allowing high separation yield without enzyme retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If decanting and centrifugation are used to reduce pellet content, then microorganism removal is improved, but process complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicroorganism removal efficiencyVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the decanting and centrifugation steps from the process sequence, replacing them with a single microfiltration step on ceramic membrane that achieves both microorganism removal and pellet reduction simultaneously, thereby simplifying the process while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The ceramic membrane microfiltration step performs multiple functions: it removes microorganisms, reduces pellet content, and concentrates enzymes in a single operation. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple separate operations, reducing process complexity while maintaining or improving removal efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple separation steps are used in series, then separation precision is improved, but processing time and productivity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation precisionVSAvoidprocessing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separation functions (microorganism removal, pellet reduction, and enzyme concentration) into a single microfiltration step using ceramic membrane. This consolidation maintains high separation precision while dramatically improving processing speed and overall productivity compared to sequential multi-step processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach maximizes enzyme recovery and yield, reducing pellet content to less than 1.5% and achieving high protein concentration, outperforming traditional methods by using mineral membranes which limit enzyme retention and enhance permeability.

Implementation Method 1

a separation on a filter press which makes it possible to obtain a filtrate having a corrected optical density OD at 600 nm of less than 2.5

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 2

the liquid phase obtained is subjected to tangential microfiltration on a ceramic membrane having a cutoff threshold of between 0.5 and 1.4 μm, so that the corrected OD 600 nm does not exceed 0.1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMicrofiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 3

optionally followed by a step of concentration on a mineral or organic membrane

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrafiltration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS11274122B2Separation of enzymes from <i>Trichoderma reesei </i>by filter press and tangential filtration on a ceramic membrane

Publication Date: 2022.03.15 IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for separating, from a culture medium, an enzymatic cocktail and the fungus Trichoderma Reesei, the culture medium resulting from enzyme production by the fungus, method in which: said culture medium is subjected, in a period of no longer than 30 h from the halting of production, to a separation on a filter press lined with a fabric having a porosity of 3-20 μm, so as to obtain a filtrate having a corrected optical density OD at 600 nm of less than 2.5; and the liquid phase obtained is subjected to tangenital micro-filtration on a ceramic membrane having a cut-off limit of 0.5 to 1.4 μm, so that the corrected OD at 600 nm does not exceed 0.1.