Patent ID: 11970683
Assignee: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Field: Biotechnology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. A method of cultivating a photoautotrophic organism in a photoautotrophic culture, comprising:
providing a membrane carbonation system comprising:
a membrane unit comprising a plurality of non-porous hollow-fiber membranes, wherein each of the non-porous hollow-fiber membranes comprises a lumen;
a solenoid valve fluidly coupled to an inlet of the membrane unit and configured to control the supply of gas mixtures comprising CO2 from a gas source to the lumen of each of the non-porous hollow-fiber membranes;
a venting valve fluidly coupled to an outlet of the membrane unit, the venting valve configured to vent inert gases from the lumen of each of the non-porous hollow-fiber membranes and prevent accumulation of the inert gases within the lumen;
a pH probe configured to gather pH data; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the solenoid valve and the pH probe, wherein the controller is configured to receive the pH data from the pH probe and to control the solenoid valve based on the pH data;

at least partially submerging the plurality of non-porous hollow fibers into the photoautotrophic culture;
delivering with the solenoid valve the mixture of gases comprising CO2 from the gas source to the lumen of each of the non-porous hollow-fiber membranes;
diffusing the CO2 through the non-porous hollow-fiber membranes into the photoautotrophic culture;
gathering pH data regarding the pH of the photoautotrophic culture; and
controlling delivery of the mixture of gases comprising CO2 through the solenoid valve based on the pH data from the pH probe.