Project
Biorefinery of Microalgae: Protein extraction.
Microalgae are one of the most promising groups of organisms for the sustainable, commercial production of bioproducts such as oils, pigments, proteins and carbohydrates as well as for pollution mitigation and CO2 abatement. They grow fast compared to terrestrial crops and can contain significant concentrations of lipids, proteins and other nutrients, depending of the strain and cultivation conditions.
Introduction
In recent years, many initiatives have started worldwide, in industry, government and research, on microalgae cultivation in photobioreactors for the production of biofuels. This process is at present not economically viable for the production of low value products such as biofuels. The production cost needs to decrease a factor 10. Most of the initiatives in this field focus on the biomass production part, however there is evidence that a refining approach in which the entire biomass is used, will be required to achieve commercial viability for low and medium value products.(e.g. biofuels). One interesting product of the biofuel biorefinery is the whole algae protein. Protein concentration into the cells ranges from very low values up to 60% DW, this means that protein fractions can be extracted and used as raw material for productions of food specialties. For example, proteins for encapsulation, food structural compounds, paper coating, adhesives, edible coating, or the protein hydrolysis that leads to free amino acids production.
Aim and research question
Microalgae have been classified as a rich source of protein for animal and human consumption, with concentrations up to 60% (dry weight). Nevertheless, little has beendone to determine the structure and possible application of several protein fraction present into the cells. Further, isolation of algae protein has been approached for laboratory studies and there are not reports over protein fractionation for industrial applications. Hence, the aim of this research is to get a better understanding of the protein fractionation in microalgae and to explore possible applications in food industry.
Approach
This project pretends to explore innovative technique for the bulk protein separation. An initial characterization of the intracellular proteins is done by PAGE-SDS, GPC, pH profile,etc. The separation of protein is carried out by techniques such as precipitation, membrane technology and supercritical solvent. Protein re-naturalization will be also taken into account due to the importance to keep their secondary structure for several applications. Currently we are working with strains from the Chlorophyceae class.
Thesis projects
Within this project there are various possibilities for doing a BSc or MSc thesis. If you are interested in doing a BSc or MSc thesis, feel free to contact me. Optional: include preferences for study programmes or courses followed by student. Researcher: David Habeych.
Acknowledgements
This project is a common effort between the department of Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass from Twente University and the department of Bioprocess Engineering fromWageningen University.