Application of Membrane Filtration for Microalgae Harvesting and Protein Separation

The seek for sustainable protein sources has led to the exploration of microalgae as an alternative. Membrane filtration, known for its environmental friendliness, holds promise for purifying protein from microalgae. This research focuses on the protein purification from Chlorella vulgaris microalgae using polyethersulfone (PES) membrane. This research aims to investigate the effect of membrane composition for enhanced microalgae harvesting and protein purification, as well as evaluating the effects of membrane pore sizes and porosity on the performance. Three membrane compositions were evaluated, which are 18% PES, 15% PES, and 12% PES. The membranes were tested for efficiency in microalgae harvesting and protein filtration through dead-end filtration. SEM analysis, contact angle analysis, and theoretical calculations were used to assess membrane characteristics. In terms of algae harvesting, both 18% PES and 15% PES were better than 12% PES in terms of retention of algae. Lowest protein rejection or high protein recovery in the permeate was achieved using 18% PES while 12% PES gave the highest rejection or low protein recovery.  Our result can provide valuable guidance for optimizing PES membrane compositions to enhance microalgae-based processes.