Innovation Spotlight: Solid-Liquid Separation (SLS) Technology

December 10, 2012 03:16 PM EST By: Susan Stewart

TechConnect Innovation Tracking: Algaeventure Systems, a TechConnect Accelerator participant-ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, 2012

One of the key barriers to industrial-scaled algal production is the process of solid-liquid separation.  Algaeventure Systems has created a novel, low-energy system using its SLS technology to separate particles such as algae from a dilute water solution, producing a thin “cake” that can be removed from the filter belt.

Ross Youngs, CEO of Algaeventure Systems, tells TechConnect News that an ARPA-E grant enabled them to produce a desk-sized unit, currently capable of recovering approximately 100 kilograms of algal/microorganisms’ consortia concentrate per day.

Mr. Youngs is particularly excited about a new application for the SLS technology, which has allowed the company to enter the drug discovery market as Biosortia Pharmaceuticals (a DBA of AVS).  Using the company’s patented and patent pending technologies, Biosortia has been able to recover rare known and unknown compounds from consortia of uncultivable microorganisms in aquatic environments.  This is of particular interest because these efforts can lead to practical deconvolution of active secondary metabolites (biomolecules). 

Using the company’s technology to discover biomolecules has led to 10 compounds being studied at the National Cancer Institute and a working partnership with NOAA.

Visit www.algaevs.com and www.biosortia.com to learn more about these companies.

 

  Subscribe to our mailing list, and we'll keep you posted of the latest developments.

RSS feed of TechConnect News™ RSS feed of TechConnect News™