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US 12,110,487 B2Granted
Systems and methods for bleaching microbial cells
AssigneeGW Nutrition Inc.
InventorsXuefei Zhao, Zhiyou Wen, Martin Anthony Gross, Everett Donald Dudley, Jr.
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Abstract
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.
Claims19
A method of treating microalgae, the method comprising:
- providing a treatment system, the treatment system including;
- (a) a first tube configured to retain a portion of microalgae, wherein the first tube is transparent or semi-transparent;
- and
- (b) a non-ionizing artificial light source, wherein the non-ionizing artificial light source is adjacent the first tube such that it directs non-ionizing UV-C light towards the first tube;
- mixing the portion of microalgae in a liquid to form a suspension, wherein the liquid is selected from water, a microbial growth medium, or a microbial growth broth, the suspension having a concentration of from 0.01 to 100 grams of dry microalgae per liter of the liquid, and the portion of microalgae having an initial green color, an initial taste, and an initial odor;
- delivering the suspension through the first tube;
- and
- exposing the first tube containing the suspension to a first light phase of the non-ionizing UV-C light of the non-ionizing artificial light source to lyse the portion of microalgae to form a portion of treated microalgae, wherein the temperature of the suspension reaches between 40° C. and 60° C. during the step of exposing, wherein the portion of treated microalgae exhibits;
- i) a treated light brown or white color;
- ii) a treated taste that is reduced compared to the initial taste;
- and
- iii) a treated odor that is reduced compared to the initial odor;
- and
- iv) a lipid content of between 5% and 15%;
- and
- including the treated microalgae as at least a portion of a food product;
- wherein the method occurs in an absence of a chemical bleaching agent.
14 more elements
A method of producing treated microalgae, the method comprising:
- growing microalgae;
- harvesting the microalgae;
- providing a treatment system, the treatment system including;
- (a) a first tube configured to retain a portion of microalgae, wherein the first tube is transparent or semi-transparent;
- and
- (b) a non-ionizing artificial light source, wherein the non-ionizing artificial light source is adjacent the first tube such that it directs non-ionizing UV-C light towards the first tube;
- mixing the portion of microalgae in a liquid to form a suspension, wherein the liquid is selected from water, a microbial growth medium, or a microbial growth broth, the suspension having a concentration of from 0.01 to 100 grams of dry microalgae per liter of the liquid, and the portion of microalgae having an initial green color, an initial taste, and an initial odor;
- delivering the suspension through the first tube;
- exposing the first tube containing the suspension to the non-ionizing UV-C light of the non-ionizing artificial light source to lyse the portion of microalgae to form a portion of treated microalgae, wherein the temperature of the suspension reaches between 40° C. and 60° C. during the step of exposing, wherein the portion of treated microalgae exhibits;
- i) a treated light brown or white color;
- ii) a treated taste that is reduced compared to the initial taste;
- and
- iii) a treated odor that is reduced compared to the initial odor;
- and
- iv) a lipid content of between 5% and 15%;
- and
- packaging the treated microalgae into a food product;
- wherein the method occurs in an absence of a chemical bleaching agent.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.