Microbial Hydrolysis for Microalgae Cell Wall Decomposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for breaking microalgae cell walls, such as mechanical, physical, and chemical methods, are inefficient or unsuitable for microbes, often damaging cell contents or requiring long processing times.
Innovation Solution
A biological method involving cultivating microbes, adding microalgae to release a hydrolysis ferment that decomposes cell walls into saccharides, allowing contents to be released without damage, and repeating the process cyclically to enhance efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If mechanical methods (grinding or cutting tools) are used to break cell walls, then cell walls are broken, but cell contents are easily damaged and the method is not suitable for microbes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical grinding or cutting tools with a biological system (microbes that secrete hydrolysis enzymes) to break down cell walls. This substitution eliminates mechanical damage to cell contents while achieving effective cell wall decomposition through enzymatic hydrolysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces microbes as an intermediary agent between the cell wall and the breaking process. These microbes secrete hydrolysis enzymes that selectively degrade cell wall components without directly contacting and damaging the cell contents, thus mediating the breakdown process gently.
2Strength
If physical methods (freezing and dissolving) are used to break cell walls, then cell walls are broken, but the method is not available for microbial cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal biological approach using microbes that can adapt to and effectively break down various types of cell walls including those of microbial cells. The hydrolysis enzymes produced by these microbes have broad substrate specificity, making the method applicable across different cell types rather than being limited to specific structures.
3Strength
If physical methods (supersonic vibration) are used to break cell walls, then cell walls are broken, but sensitive and active features of cells are easily damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces supersonic vibration with a biochemical process where microbes secrete hydrolysis enzymes to decompose cell walls. This substitution preserves sensitive and active cell features by using gentle enzymatic action instead of high-energy mechanical vibration that would damage cellular components.
4Quantity of substance
If chemical methods (organic solvents) are used to change cell wall permeability, then cell contents can permeate, but working time is very long and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical methods using organic solvents with a biological method where microbes secrete hydrolysis enzymes to break down cell walls. This substitution significantly reduces working time and increases efficiency by directly degrading cell wall structure rather than slowly altering permeability through chemical penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces microbes as an intermediary that actively produces hydrolysis enzymes to decompose cell walls. This biological mediator accelerates the breakdown process compared to passive chemical penetration, achieving complete cell wall decomposition in a much shorter time frame.
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 effectively decomposes microalgae cell walls without breaking contents, enabling complete release and utilization of microalgae components, such as fat for bio-diesel and saccharides for health food or feedstuff, while maintaining microbial numbers for continuous processing.
Implementation Method 1
a third step of releasing a hydrolysis ferment from the microbes, and a fourth step of hydrolyzing cell walls of the microalgae by the hydrolysis ferment of the microbes to decompose the cell walls of the microalgae into saccharide
Implementation Method 2
When the diameter of each of the pores in the cell walls of the microalgae is greater than the volume of the fat of the microalgae, the fat of the microalgae flows outward from the cell walls of the microalgae and floats upward to the top of the cultivating liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A method for breaking the cell walls of microalgae includes cultivating microbes in a cultivating liquid, adding microalgae into the cultivating liquid to mix with the microbes, releasing a hydrolysis ferment from the microbes, hydrolyzing cell walls of the microalgae by the hydrolysis ferment of the microbes to decompose the cell walls of the microalgae into saccharide, and removing the microalgae from the cultivating liquid. Thus, the microbes release the hydrolysis ferment after the microalgae touch the microbes so as to hydrolyze and decompose the cell walls of the microalgae in a moderate manner without breaking the contents of the microalgae so that the contents of the microalgae can be released, absorbed and used completely.