Patent ID: 9295206
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: A01G,Y02A

Claim Text:
1. A method of manipulating the physiological state of algae cultured in a series of connected raceway ponds arranged in stages by altering one or more environmental parameters to simulate algal bloom forming conditions, wherein the alteration of the one or more environmental parameters is timed to coincide with a specific point in the algal cell cycle and to deliberately induce synchronization of cellular division of an algal population, wherein the synchronization is maintained through each stage by alteration of the one or more environmental parameters at regular intervals to retain the physiological state of choice, until a harvesting stage is reached and wherein the alteration of the one or more environmental parameters comprises successively diluting the algae at timed intervals in a controlled manner before or during transfer between stages to maintain a cell density of algae between 1,000 cells/ml and 2,000,000 cells/ml, wherein the dilution is timed to coincide with a particular point in the algal cell cycle and to deliberately induce synchronization of cell division, and wherein the algae remains in exponential growth through each stage.