There is an increasing need by the biotechnology companies to establish selective and scalable methods of product recovery and purification that integrate effectively with upstream operations. Such methods are essential to rapidly yield product in a suitable state for validation of polishing, formulation and delivery operations. However, the established processes to purify high value biological products are characterized by a sequence of excessive membrane and chromatography steps. Furthermore, the increasing need to process high concentrated feedstock streams derived from the culture systems demands attention, particularly in the light of process productivity. Thus, it is urgent to develop modern downstream processes with a reduced number of unit operations to purify high value biological products.
   The development of novel purification processes based on two-phase extraction and using algae as potential production system will be presented in this talk. The processes are characterized by a reduced number of unit operations that can process heavy feedstock loaded system and resulted in the production of high-value protein based products. In particular, the development of processes to purify C-phycocyanin and B-phycoerythrin produced by Spirulina maxima and Porphyridium cruentum respectively will be critically discussed. Conclusions will be drawn concerning the general rules derived from the practical experience on the establishment of these processes that greatly simplify the current way in which high-value products can be recovered, with significant scope for generic application.