Microalgae Flocculation via Self-Expressed Proteins
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of chemical flocculants in microalgae harvesting is costly and inefficient, requiring additional steps for flocculant removal and leading to increased production costs and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
Genetic manipulation of microalgae to express flocculation moieties such as carbohydrate binding proteins or antibodies, allowing for flocculation through molecular interactions, enabling efficient separation from liquid environments without the need for chemical flocculants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If chemical flocculants are used to remove microalgae from liquid environments, then the organisms can be aggregated and removed more easily, but additional steps for flocculant removal are required and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The microalgae are genetically modified to express self-flocculating proteins on their cell surfaces, enabling them to aggregate autonomously without external chemical flocculants. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for additional flocculant removal steps and reduces process complexity while maintaining high harvesting efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful chemical flocculants from the system by replacing them with biologically-derived self-flocculating proteins expressed by the microalgae themselves, thereby removing the need for subsequent flocculant removal steps
2Productivity
If chemical flocculants are used to remove microalgae from liquid environments, then the organisms can be aggregated and removed more easily, but production costs increase due to flocculant addition and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The microalgae express self-flocculating proteins autonomously, eliminating the need to purchase and add external chemical flocculants. This self-service approach reduces material costs while maintaining effective aggregation and harvesting efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the naturally occurring cell surface properties of microalgae into a beneficial self-flocculation mechanism by expressing specific proteins that promote aggregation, thereby eliminating the need for costly chemical flocculants and their subsequent removal
3Productivity
If chemical flocculants are used for microalgae harvesting, then flocculation can be achieved, but environmental concerns arise from chemical addition and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces harmful chemical flocculants with beneficial biologically-derived self-flocculating proteins expressed by the microalgae, converting a harmful process into an environmentally friendly one while maintaining harvesting efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The microalgae autonomously produce self-flocculating proteins on their cell surfaces, eliminating the need for external chemical additives and their associated environmental concerns, thereby achieving sustainable and eco-friendly harvesting
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 method reduces production costs by eliminating the need for chemical flocculant removal and enhances the economic viability of microalgae harvesting, while also minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
Genetic manipulation of microalgae to express flocculation moieties such as carbohydrate binding proteins or antibodies, allowing for flocculation through molecular interactions
Implementation Method 2
enabling efficient separation from liquid environments
Data Source
Figure 1A~1F
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention provides compositions and methods for producing flocculation moieties in photosynthetic organisms. The photosynthetic organisms are genetically modified to effect production, secretion, or both, of the flocculation moieties. Also provided are methods of flocculating organisms.