LAUSR

Abstract This study confirmed that photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) can be used as a protein source for foaming agents. A foaming agent was successfully prepared from PSB liquid directly via thermal alkaline treatment, thus eliminating protein extraction and purification. Further optimization of the important process parameters was conducted through a central composite design to achieve the highest foamability. Results indicated that the PSB foaming agent prepared under a reaction temperature of 100 °C, reaction time of 1 h, and pH of 12.5 presented the highest foamability (476 mL). Adding 1.2 g/L sodium dodecyl sulfate could produce a foaming agent with a higher foaming capacity than a commercial high-performance product. These findings provide a new source of bio-building materials and expand the application of PSB.