US 10,568,343 B2 · Methods and systems for extracting protein and carbohydrate rich products from a microcrop and compositions thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to methods and systems for purifying proteins and carbohydrate rich products from photosynthetic aquatic species and compositions thereof. For example, one embodiment of the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for purifying proteins the present disclosure relates, in some embodiments to methods and systems for extracting proteins, dry biocrude, and carbohydrate-rich meal from Lemna. In some embodiments, a method of treating a biomass comprising a microcrop (e.g., Lemna) to produce a product comprising soluble microcrop protein may comprise: (a) lysing a first portion of the biomass to form a first portion of lysed biomass; (b) separating the first portion of lysed biomass to generate a first portion of a juice fraction and a first portion of a solid fraction; (c) separating the first portion of the juice fraction to generate a first portion of a first juice and a first portion of a first cake, wherein the first juice comprises a soluble microcrop protein; and/or (d) filtering the first portion of the first juice to generate a first portion of the product comprising soluble microcrop protein and a reject stream.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A method of generating a highly soluble microcrop protein product by processing-a biomass comprising a microcrop, the method comprising:

(a) lysing a first portion of the biomass to form a first portion of lysed biomass;
(b) separating the first portion of lysed biomass to generate a first portion of a juice fraction and a first portion of a solid fraction;
(c) separating the first portion of the juice fraction to generate a first portion of a first juice and a first portion of a first cake;
(d) microfiltering the first portion of the first juice to generate a first portion of a first soluble protein and a first reject stream, wherein the first reject stream is a retentate;
(e) filtering the first portion of the first soluble protein to generate a first portion of a second soluble protein and a second reject stream, wherein filtering comprises at least one of ultrafiltering, diafiltering, and nanofiltering;
(f) concentrating the first portion of the second soluble protein to generate a first portion of a concentrated soluble protein, wherein concentrating comprises at least one of reverse osmosis filtering and nanofiltering;
and
(g) drying the first portion of the concentrated soluble protein to generate a first portion of a dry protein concentrate having a protein concentration of at least about 50% by weight and a solubility value (% water soluble nitrogen) of at least 50%.

5 more elements

A method of recovering a highly soluble microcrop protein from a biomass comprising a microcrop, the process comprising:

(a) combining a first portion of the biomass with a wash solution to form a first portion of a slurry;
(b) separating the first portion of the slurry to generate a first portion of a washed biomass and a reclaimed wash solution;
(c) lysing the first portion of the washed biomass to form a first portion of a lysed biomass;
(d) separating the first portion of the lysed biomass to generate a first portion of a juice fraction and a first portion of a solid fraction;
(e) centrifuging the first portion of the juice fraction to generate a first portion of a first juice and a first portion of a first cake, wherein the first portion of the first juice comprises a soluble microcrop protein;
(f) microfiltering the first portion of the first juice to generate a first portion of a first soluble protein and a first reject stream, wherein the first reject stream is a retentate;
(g) filtering the first portion of the first soluble protein to generate a first portion of a second soluble protein and a second reject stream, wherein filtering comprises at least one of ultrafiltering, diafiltering, and nanofiltering;
(h) concentrating the first portion of the second soluble protein to generate a first portion of a concentrated soluble protein, wherein concentrating consists of comprises at least one of reverse osmosis filtering and nanofiltering;
(i) drying the first portion of the concentrated soluble protein to generate a first portion of a dry protein concentrate having a protein concentration of at least about 50% by weight and a solubility value (% water soluble nitrogen) of at least 50%;
and
(a′) combining at least one of the reclaimed wash solution or the first reject stream with a second portion of the biomass to form a second portion of the slurry.

8 more elements

A method of cultivating a microcrop to produce a product comprising soluble microcrop protein, the method comprising:

(a) contacting a microcrop with an aqueous nutrient composition under conditions that permit expansion of the microcrop;
(b) diverting a first portion of the microcrop to form a first portion of lysed microcrop;
(b′) diverting at least one further portion of the microcrop to form respective further portions of lysed microcrop;
(c) separating the first portion of lysed biomass to generate a first portion of a juice fraction and a first portion of a solid fraction;
(c′) separating at least one further portion of lysed biomass to generate respective further portions of the juice fraction and respective further portions of the solid fraction;
(d) separating the first portion of the juice fraction to generate a first portion of a first juice and a first portion of a first cake, wherein the first juice comprises the soluble microcrop protein;
(d′) separating at least one further portion of the juice fraction to generate respective further portions of the first juice and respective further portions of the first cake, wherein the first juice comprises the soluble microcrop protein;
(e) microfiltering the first portion of the first juice to generate a first portion of a soluble protein—and a first reject stream, wherein the first reject stream is a retentate;
(e′) microfiltering at least one further portion of the first juice to generate respective further portions of the soluble protein and respective further first reject streams;
(f) filtering the first portion of the first soluble protein to generate a first portion of a second soluble protein and a second reject stream, wherein filtering comprises at least one of ultrafiltering, diafiltering, and nanofiltering;
(f′) filtering at least one further portion of the first soluble protein to generate respective further portions of the second soluble protein and respective further second reject streams;
(g) concentrating the first portion of the second soluble protein to generate a first portion of a concentrated soluble protein, wherein concentrating consists of comprises at least one of reverse osmosis filtering and nanofiltering;
(g′) concentrating at least one further portion of the second soluble protein to generate respective further portions of the concentrated soluble protein;
(h) drying the first portion of the concentrated soluble protein to generate a first portion of a dry protein concentrate having a protein concentration of at least about 50% by weight and a solubility value (% water soluble nitrogen) of at least 50%;
and
(h′) drying at least one further portion of the first portion of the concentrated soluble protein to generate respective further portions of the dry protein concentrate.

13 more elements

A method of treating a biomass comprising a microcrop to produce a product comprising soluble microcrop protein, the method comprising:

(a) lysing a first portion of the biomass to form a first portion of lysed biomass;
(a′) lysing at least one further portion of the biomass to form respective further portions of lysed biomass;
(b) separating the first portion of lysed biomass to generate a first portion of a juice fraction and a first portion of a solid fraction;
(b′) separating at least one further portion of lysed biomass to generate respective further portions of the juice fraction and respective further portions of the solid fraction;
(c) separating the first portion of the juice fraction to generate a first portion of a first juice and a first portion of a first cake, wherein the first juice comprises the soluble microcrop protein;
(c′) separating at least one further portion of the juice fraction to generate respective further portions of the first juice and respective further portions of the first cake, wherein the respective further portions of the first juice comprise the soluble microcrop protein;
(d) microfiltering the first portion of the first juice to generate a first portion of a first soluble protein—and a first reject stream, wherein the first reject stream is a retentate;
(d′) microfiltering at least one further portion of the first juice to generate respective further portions of the first soluble protein and respective further portions of the first reject stream;
(e) filtering the first portion of the first soluble protein to generate a first portion of a second soluble protein—and a second reject stream, wherein filtering comprises at least one of ultrafiltering, diafiltering, and nanofiltering;
(e′) filtering at least one further portion of the first soluble protein to generate respective further portions of the second soluble protein and respective further portions of the second reject stream;
(f) concentrating the first portion of the second soluble protein to generate a first portion of a concentrated soluble protein, wherein concentrating consists of comprises at least one of reverse osmosis filtering and nanofiltering;
(f′) concentrating at least one further portion of the second soluble protein to generate respective further portions of the concentrated soluble protein;
(g) drying the first portion of the concentrated soluble protein to generate a first portion of a dry protein concentrate having a protein concentration of at least about 50% by weight and a solubility value (% water soluble nitrogen) of at least 50%;
and
(g′) drying at least one further portion of the first portion of the concentrated soluble protein to generate respective further portions of the dry protein concentrate.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and systems for extracting protein and carbohydrate rich products from a microcrop and compositions thereof

Life of this patent

Methods and systems for extracting protein and carbohydrate rich products from a microcrop and compositions thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42