Green bioprocessing of protein from Chlorella vulgaris microalgae towards circular bioeconomy

Abdul Azim Bin Azmi; Kit Wayne Chew; Wen Yi Chia; Muhammad Mubashir; Revathy Sankaran; Man Kee Lam; Jun Wei Lim; Yeek-Chia Ho; Pau Loke Show

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125197

Green bioprocessing of protein from Chlorella vulgaris microalgae towards circular bioeconomy

Bioresour Technol. 2021 Aug:333:125197. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125197. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Authors

Abdul Azim Bin Azmi¹, Kit Wayne Chew², Wen Yi Chia¹, Muhammad Mubashir³, Revathy Sankaran⁴, Man Kee Lam⁵, Jun Wei Lim⁶, Yeek-Chia Ho⁷, Pau Loke Show⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih 43500, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
² School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Jalan Sunsuria, Bandar Sunsuria, 43900 Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
³ Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Computing, Engineering & Technology, School of Engineering, Asia Pacific University of Technology, and Innovation, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁴ Graduate School, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih 43500, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
⁵ Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Malaysia; HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Malaysia.
⁶ HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Malaysia; Fundamental and Applied Sciences Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Malaysia.
⁷ Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Malaysia; Centre for Urban Resource Sustainability, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Malaysia.
⁸ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih 43500, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Electronic address: auLoke.Show@nottingham.edu.my.

PMID: 33930672
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125197

Abstract

The work aimed to study the potential in producing a system with high microalgal protein recovery and separation by utilizing a one-step or integrated downstream process. This in turn enables green biorefinery of protein, contributing to circular bioeconomy whereby less energy, labor, and cost are required for the process. By utilizing electric three phase partitioning flotation system, high protein recovery yield, R of 99.42 ± 0.52% and high separation efficiency, E of 52.72 ± 0.40% system was developed. Scaling up also showed high protein recovery yield with R value of 89.13 ± 1.56%. Total processing duration (extraction, separation, and purification) was also significantly reduced to 10 min. This system showed remarkable potential in reducing processing time, alternatively cost of production, benefiting microalgal downstream processing. Concisely, through this system, microalgal bioprocessing will no longer be complex allowing a wide array of potentials for further studies in this field.

Keywords: Downstream processing; Electrical extraction; Microalgal biomolecules; Process integration; Three phase partitioning.

MeSH terms

Biomass
Chlorella vulgaris*
Electricity
Microalgae*