Science at the heart of Cyvora.

That is the role of downstream processing, and it is where biological cultivation and conversion become usable products and higher-value fractions.

The process begins with harvesting — separating biomass from the cultivation medium or the biological processing environment. Depending on the material, it may then involve:

• Concentration — reducing water content and raising the concentration of biological solids.
• Drying — stabilising biomass to improve storage, handling and formulation.
• Separation — separating biological fractions by their physical or chemical properties.
• Extraction — recovering selected compounds from biomass where that is economically and technically appropriate.
• Purification — raising the concentration and quality of a target compound.
• Formulation — combining recovered materials with other components to make a product with defined functional characteristics.
• Packaging and stabilisation — preparing the final material for storage, transport and application.

Why it is a capability, not a finishing step

Biomass does not become a commercial product simply because it has been cultivated. We therefore treat downstream processing as a biomanufacturing capability in its own right.

For algae the opportunity is particularly significant, because a single biomass stream may contain several classes of useful compound — proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, pigments and minerals. How it is processed decides whether that biomass is sold as a relatively simple bulk material or refined into higher-value ingredients.

Drying, formulation and packing are in commercial use today. Extraction, purification and concentration are in development.

The strategic objective is to increase the value recovered from every unit of biological material we produce. The goal is not simply to grow more biomass; it is to recover more value from each unit of it.