Patent ID: 8222025

Claim:
A multistory bioreaction system comprising: a roof incorporating a light-converting material including one or more layers of upconverting luminescent materials and one or more layers of downconverting luminescent materials, the upconverting and the downconverting luminescent materials being selected to convert incident light into light suitable for photosynthetic organisms; sidewalls supporting the roof that at least partially incorporate the light-converting material including one or more layers of upconverting luminescent materials and one or more layers of downconverting luminescent materials; a light pipe having a collector positioned adjacent to the roof for collecting sunlight and transmitting the light to multiple stories of the multistory bioreaction system via light conduits positioned within the multistory bioreaction system; a plurality of bioreactors for housing photosynthetic organisms in a nutrient-including medium and positioned to receive light from the light pipe and light conduits to conduct photosynthesis; a conduit positioned to communicate between a waste carbon dioxide emitting source and waste heat emitting source and the interior of the multistory bioreaction system to supply carbon dioxide and heat to the bioreactors; wherein the one or more layers of downconverting luminescent materials comprise particles including one or more semiconductors selected from IIA-VIA, IIIA-VA, IVA-IVA or IVA-VIA materials.