text: embodiments or examples illustrated in the drawings are disclosed below using specific language . it will nevertheless be understood that the embodiments or examples are not intended to be limiting . any alterations and modifications in the disclosed embodiments , and any further applications of the principles disclosed in this document are contemplated as would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art . described herein are examples of methods and embodiments associated with obtaining products from biomass as it has been defined herein . fig1 is an illustration of an example method associated with the use of biomass for personal care products . the biomass may have been collected for this or most any other purpose . at 110 , evidence is collected for the presence of toxic cyanobacteria in biomass . if toxic cyanobacteria are not detected , the method does not proceed to 120 . collection of evidence will be described in greater detail with reference to fig2 infra . if evidence of the presence of toxic cyanobacteria is collected , the method proceeds to 120 . at 120 , processes and subprocesses will be performed that will yield the preparation , as detailed in fig3 infra . at 130 , the preparation that results from 120 will be used in a personal care product . the personal care product is expected to comprise numerous ingredients in addition to the preparation . while the examples described herein are specifically directed to the use of the preparation in personal care products , it is to be understood and appreciated that the scope of this specification is not intended to be limited to such uses . accordingly , additional end uses that employ the features , functions and benefits of this innovation are to be included within the scope of this specification and claims appended hereto . fig2 is an illustration of a method 200 for collecting evidence for the presence of toxic cyanobacteria in biomass , and then proceeding on to process the biomass into the preparation . at 210 , one would identify whether cells that are representative of a toxic cyanobacterium are present . in one embodiment , light microscopy is used at 210 . in another embodiment , fluorescence microscopy is used at 210 . it is to be understood and appreciated that , in addition to those specifically described , most any techniques known , or that become known , in the art can be employed to detect toxic cyanobacteria without departing from the spirit and scope of the innovation . if cells of any toxic cyanobacterium are found to be present , or if cells appear to be those of a toxic cyanobacterium but may not be confirmed due to poor resolution or a similar limitation are found to be present , the method continues to 120 . if no cells of a toxic cyanobacterium appear to be present , the method proceeds to 220 . at 220 , common methods used for detection of toxins produced by toxic cyanobacteria may be employed . in one embodiment , an enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay may be used to identify a toxin . in another embodiment , a mouse bioassay may be used to identify a toxin . in another embodiment , high - pressure liquid chromatography ( hplc ) combined with mass spectroscopy ( ms ) may be used to identify a toxin . if any toxin is detected , the method continues to 120 . if no toxins are detected , the method continues to 230 . at 230 , molecular biological tools may be employed to detect the presence of genes or gene products involved in the production of toxins that are associated with toxic cyanobacteria . in one embodiment , quantitative polymerase chain reaction may be used at 230 to detect genes . in another embodiment , sandwich hybridization may be used at 230 to detect genes . in yet other embodiments , reverse - transcriptase polymerase chain reaction may be used to detect ribonucleic acid gene products . if molecular biological tools detect the presence of any genes or gene products involved in the production of toxins that are associated with toxic cyanobacteria , the method continues on to 120 . if no genes or gene products are detected , the method is presumed to terminate . at 120 , the biomass undergoes process steps that will yield the preparation . fig3 is an illustration of one possible set of process steps that could yield the preparation . with the biomass from 110 , an aqueous extraction can be performed at 310 . in one embodiment , an aqueous extraction involves freezing and then thawing the biomass at least one time . in another embodiment , ultrasonication of the biomass in water may be employed for aqueous extraction . these are provided as examples ; different techniques may be employed which are known to lyse toxic cyanobacteria so that they will release their cellular contents into the aqueous phase . in the embodiment described here , an aqueous extract is generated as an output , and at 320 the aqueous extract generated at 310 will undergo separation into fractions on the basis of density . at 320 numerous processes and subprocesses are options for density - based separations . in one embodiment centrifugation may be used . in another embodiment , settling out of denser components may be used . in order to alter the densities of the constituent components of the aqueous extract , flocculants or chemical additives may be added so that separation via settling occurs in a way that leaves fewer microsolids in the liquid supernatant that will be collected . in another embodiment , both flocculation and centrifugation may be used . for example , flocculation can yield a liquid from which larger , denser solids have been removed but which still contains microsolids . through centrifugation , such microsolids may be further removed so that the output of this process step is a well - clarified liquid . of relevance for 320 is that a solid or multiple solid fractions will be generated which may be used for purposes beyond the scope of this method or discarded , while a liquid fraction will be generated as the output for further processing within the scope of this method . at 330 the liquid output of 320 will undergo a size - based separation that will separate retained microsolids and large molecules from small molecules that are the targets for inclusion in the preparation . in most embodiments of 330 , membranes will be used which have a molecular weight cutoff that will lead to the retention of suspended microsolids and large molecules ( the “ large ” class ), and the flowthrough of small molecules ( the “ small ” class ). in one embodiment , basic filtration using cellulose - based membranes may be employed to separate the large class from the small class . in another embodiment , a polyethersulphone tubular membrane may be used . in another embodiment a polysulphone membrane is used . in another embodiment , a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane is used . in yet another embodiment , a tangential flow filtration membrane is used . as an example of an embodiment where a tangential flow filtration membrane is used , the molecular weight cutoff associated with the membrane is 10 kda . in this example , the large class comprises microsolids and molecules greater than 10 kda in size . the tangential flow filtration retentate containing the large class will be collected and preserved for future processes that are beyond the scope of this method . a liquid fraction containing the small class , comprised of molecules less than 10 kda in size , will be generated as the output for further processing within the scope of this method . at 340 the liquid containing the small class will be subjected to a separation based upon the chemistry of the molecules that are desired to be retained for the preparation . in one embodiment , a liquid - liquid extraction utilizing a nonpolar solvent such as phenol is used . the hydrophobic molecules retained in the nonpolar solvent will be preserved for future processes that are beyond the scope of this method . the hydrophilic molecules retained in the aqueous phase would be collected as the output of 340 and carried on to 350 . in another embodiment , a silica - based resin modified with c - 18 residues is used , wherein hydrophobic molecules will be retained by the resin , and hydrophilic molecules will pass through the resin , under specific conditions related to the liquid milieu in which the molecules are contained . the molecules retained by the resin can be eluted with a nonpolar solvent , and will be preserved for future processes that are beyond the scope of this method . the molecules that passed through the column will have been collected as the output of 340 . in one example of this embodiment , reverse - phase column chromatography is used . reverse - phase column chromatography is well known to those skilled in the art , and what is unique about its use here is that it serves as a “ scrubber ” to remove molecules that are not desired or not necessary for the preparation . such molecules could include the toxins produced by toxic cyanobacteria that were present in the original biomass , and as identified at 110 of fig1 and 2 infra . however , removal of toxins is only one possible benefit of this step . process step 340 enables the preparation that will be used at 130 to be more refined , safer , and more consistent than any other preparation intended for use in personal care products and which is derived from naturally - occurring bloom material that may contain toxic cyanobacteria . this step in part addresses the challenge presented by inconsistency in the biomasses that may be used , as mentioned in the background section . at 350 , the hydrophilic molecules that were collected at 340 will undergo nano separation both to further refine and to concentrate the desired molecules into the preparation . in one embodiment , this is accomplished using a polyamide film tubular nanofiltration membrane to separate the hydrophilic molecules into a retentate and a flowthrough . the retentate will undergo subprocessing , such as the addition of preservatives or stabilizers , to yield the preparation that will be used at 130 . as was the case with the reverse - phase chromatography example described for process step 340 , nanofiltration is well - known to those skilled in the art . however , it has never been applied to the output of process steps such as those described in 340 , in a manner that yields the preparation intended for use in personal care products and which is derived from naturally - occurring bloom material that may contain toxic cyanobacteria . this is highly significant because the use of biomass from naturally - occurring blooms for personal care products has been limited by issues related to refinement , safety and consistency . through the method and embodiments described above , the preparation overcomes these limitations in an economically - viable fashion , and has the added benefits of being enriched for molecules that are highly desirable in personal care products . at 130 , the preparation will be added to a formulation intended for use as a personal care product , or other product as on desired . examples of personal care products include but are not limited to cleansers , toners , lotions , creams , sera , and liquid foundations . for example , in one embodiment , the personal care product is an anti - aging serum to which the preparation is added at a concentration of 2 % ( w / w ). in another embodiment , the personal care product is a hair conditioner to which the preparation is added at a concentration of 4 % ( w / w ). all of the embodiments described above for fig1 and 3 are listed as example techniques ; different techniques may be used to separate the constituents of the biomass and to use the preparation . further , the overall method is not restricted to any specific volumes or scale of operation , and in fact recognizes that at different scales minor modifications to the basic process steps may be required . it is to be understood that any process step or act may require specific conditions , such as temperature , pressure , and ph , to yield desired outputs . modification of such conditions may in fact enhance the recovery of some outputs relative to others , and such enhancements are monitored via the analytical component shown at 410 in fig4 . fig4 illustrates one embodiment of a system associated with making personal care products that incorporate the preparation . at 410 is shown the analytical component . this component is used in conjunction with both the preparation production component , 420 , and the product manufacturing component , 430 . as will be described below , 420 and 430 encompass the methods , embodiments , and examples which have been described previously in this document , as well as additional methods , embodiments , and examples . within most of those methods , embodiments and example analyses are performed to monitor inputs and outputs , and the fate of molecules of interest for the preparation . likewise , the preparation may undergo analyses to monitor its safety and consistency . fig5 illustrates examples of components that may be part of the analytical component shown at 410 . at 510 is found a component for measuring ultraviolet ( uv ) absorption . this component may be used , for example , at 310 through 350 shown in fig3 , so that molecules that absorb wavelengths of light in the ultraviolet range may be selectively carried on to subsequent process steps . this component may also be used , for example , to measure concentrations of dna , ribonucleic acid ( rna ), amino acids , proteins , and vitamins . in one embodiment , the uv absorption component at 510 comprises a spectrophotometer . in another embodiment , 510 comprises hplc with an in - line photodiode array . in accordance with this embodiment , the output with the highest absorbance at 333 nm is deemed the most suitable for use in each subsequent process , and ultimately for the preparation to be added to personal care products at 130 . alternatively , the techniques may be used in conjunction with one another . within fig5 , the cell detection component at 520 may be configured to include light microscopy , fluorescence microscopy , fluorometers , or similar tools that can be used to assess for the presence or absence of cells of toxic cyanobacteria . note that a single or multiple techniques may comprise 520 so that one may draw a reasonable conclusion enabling the progression from 210 to 120 , as shown in fig2 . the toxin detection component at 530 may be configured to include enzyme - linked immunosorbent assays with a microtiter plate reader , hplc with an in - line photodiode array , ms , or uv spectroscopy . a single or multiple techniques may comprise 530 so that one may draw a reasonable conclusion enabling the progression from 220 to 120 , as shown in fig2 . the dna detection component at 540 may be configured to include southern blots , northern blots , polymerase chain reaction , or quantitative polymerase chain reaction to collect evidence for the presence of dna associated with the production of toxins by toxic cyanobacteria . a single or multiple techniques may comprise 530 so that one may draw a reasonable conclusion enabling the progression from 230 to 120 , as shown in fig2 . at 550 the biochemical activity component may be configured to include any techniques or technologies that not only seek to confirm the presence or absence of certain molecules or sets of molecules , but rather the actual biological activity of such molecules or sets of molecules that ultimately are to be included or excluded from the preparation . fig6 illustrates that the biochemical activity component at 550 may be configured to include both or either an in - vitro component , 610 , and an in - vivo component , 620 . examples of techniques at 610 are assays for the prevention of oxidation of indicator molecules ( antioxidant activity ), and assays for the prevention of either chemical or uv - induced damage to dna . such assays may be used to assess properties of the preparation . examples of techniques at 620 are cell - based assays for protection against phototoxicity or inflammation , or the use of live animals to assess for the presence of certain toxins , especially those which may originate from toxic cyanobacteria . returning to fig5 , analytical component 410 may be configured to include a human subjects component , 560 . fig7 illustrates that the human subjects component at 560 may be configured to include safety ( 710 ), sun protection ( 720 ), skin damage / protection ( 730 ), and aesthetic ( 740 ) components . each of components 710 through 740 may comprise the use of human subjects and methods widely known to those skilled in the art . at present , analytical component 410 is entirely comprised of methods , techniques and technologies known to those skilled in the art , though it is not limited to presently known methods , techniques and technologies and in the future may be inclusive of better methods , techniques and technologies . the methods , techniques , and technologies that are described herein are of importance because it is the use of such methods , techniques , and technologies for the baseline method of fig1 that enables one to arrive at the preparation . the preparation originates from biomass from naturally - occurring blooms and which contains toxic cyanobacteria . without the application of such methods , techniques , and technologies to assess progression through the baseline method of fig1 , the use of such biomass to generate the preparation specific to this invention would not occur . similarly , the use of such biomass to generate the preparation would not occur without production component 420 illustrated in fig4 , and further illustrated in fig8 . at 420 , extraction component 810 and fractionation component 820 may be configured . at 810 one may find the techniques and technologies associated with aqueous extraction that was part of the method , and shown at 310 of fig3 . at 820 one may find the techniques and technologies associated with process steps 320 through 350 of fig3 . the fractionation component , 820 , is further detailed in fig9 , which illustrates a configuration that includes components required to execute process steps 320 through 350 of fig3 . note that these components may be applied for additional process steps or subprocess steps that have not been described , and that the process steps described herein are not intended to limit the method to those process steps only . similarly , the components described herein are not intended to limit the system ( fig4 ) to these components only . returning to fig4 , the product manufacturing component , 430 , may be configured so that the preparation will eventually be incorporated into a finished personal care product that may include not only the preparation but other ingredients that enhance the quality and performance of the product . use of the preparation within component 430 would not be possible without components 410 and 420 and the unique method described herein . while for purposes of simplicity of explanation , illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks . the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks as some blocks can occur in different orders and / or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described . moreover , less than all the illustrated blocks may be used to implement an example methodology . blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components . furthermore , additional and / or alternative methodologies can employ additional , not illustrated blocks . additionally , it is to be understood that a “ component ” can refer to hardware , software or a combination of hardware and software as appropriate to carry out the process and methods described herein . to the extent that the term “ includes ” or “ including ” is employed in the detailed description or the claims , it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “ comprising ” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim . while example methods , embodiments and so on have been illustrated by describing examples , and while the examples have been described in considerable detail , it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . it is , of course , not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems , methods , and so on described herein . therefore , the disclosure is not limited to the specific details , the representative apparatus , and illustrative examples shown and described . thus , this application is intended to embrace alterations , modifications , and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims , which satisfy the statutory subject matter requirements of 35 u . s . c . § 101 .