Light-Based Bleaching of Microbial Biomass for Color and Odor Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available algal powders have a deep green color and strong odor and taste, necessitating improved methods for bleaching that do not use harmful chemicals.
Innovation Solution
A non-chemical, light-based bleaching process that uses artificial lights to degrade chlorophyll in microbial biomass, lysing the cells and reducing color, odor, and taste, while maintaining the nutritional value of the biomass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If chemical bleaching agents are used to reduce color and odor of algal powders, then the bleaching effect is improved, but harmful chemical residues and environmental pollution occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical bleaching agents with a physical light-based system. Specifically, it uses high-intensity light sources (such as LEDs or lasers) to irradiate the algal biomass, inducing photodegradation of chlorophyll and other pigments without introducing harmful chemicals. This substitution eliminates chemical residues while achieving the desired bleaching effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of light (intensity, wavelength, exposure time) to achieve effective bleaching. By controlling these parameters, the system can degrade pigments and reduce odor compounds through photolysis and photo-oxidation, providing a tunable and controllable process that avoids chemical additives.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If light-based bleaching is used to degrade chlorophyll, then chemical usage is eliminated, but processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic or pulsed light irradiation to enhance the bleaching efficiency. By using intermittent high-intensity light pulses rather than continuous low-intensity exposure, the system achieves faster degradation of pigments and odor compounds, reducing overall processing time while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes photo-oxidation reactions accelerated by high-intensity light to rapidly degrade organic compounds. The light energy activates oxygen and other oxidizing agents present in the system, creating reactive oxygen species that quickly break down chlorophyll and odor-causing compounds, thereby reducing processing time.
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
The process effectively reduces color and odor, enhances digestibility, and maintains high protein content, achieving bleached microbial biomass suitable for food and feed applications without the use of harsh chemicals or additional processing steps.
Implementation Method 1
A non-chemical, light-based bleaching process that uses artificial lights to degrade chlorophyll in microbial biomass
Implementation Method 2
lysing the cells and reducing color, odor, and taste
Data Source
AI summary
A method of treating microbial biomass includes mixing the microbial biomass in a liquid to form a suspension, the microbial biomass having an initial color, and exposing the suspension to light to form treated microbial biomass, the treated microbial biomass having a treated color. The treated color is lighter than the initial color. The microbial biomass can also have an initial taste and odor that are stronger than a treated taste and odor of the treated microbial biomass