TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Components: The population of algal cells comprises at least one of a marine algal strain(s), a freshwater (non-marine) algal strain(s), a cyanobacter strain(s) and/or a diatomaceous algal strain(s). The population of algal cells comprises an algal strain of genus including Gloeocystis, Limnothrix, Scenedesmus, Chlorococcum, Chlorella, Anabaena, Botryococcus, Cricosphaera, Spirulina, Nannochloris, Dunaliella, Phaeodactylum, Pleurochrysis and/or Tetraselmis, including Chlamydomonas sp. and the algal species as above per se. The population of algal cells comprises at least one species including Botryococcus braunii UTEX 572, Chlorella protothecoides UTEX 25, Chlorella saccharophila var. saccharophila UTEX2469, Chlorella vulgaris XJTEX2714, Cricosphaera carterae UTEX LB1014, Dunaliella tertiolecta UTEX LB999, Nannochloris oculata UTEX LB1998, Spirulina platensis UTEX LB1926, Spirulina maxima UTEX LB2342, Tetraselmis suecica UTEX LB2286, Tetraselmis chuii UTEX LB232, Phaeodactylum tricornutum UTEX 646, Pleurochrysis carterae CCMP 647 or Chlorella protothecoides UTEX 25. The population of algal cells is a consortium comprising Gleocytis vesiculosa strains 1-4, Limnothrix redekei, Scenedesmus spp., Chlorococcum humicola strains 1-3, Chlorella vulgaris strains 1-3, Anabaena spp., and Chlamydomonas spp.. The population of algal cells is a consortium comprising Chlamydomonas globosa, Chlorella minutissima and Scenedesmus bijuga.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Process: The medium, before receiving the population of algal cells, is treated in a wastewater treatment plant. At least one algal strain of the population of algal cells is isolated from a source in contact with the wastewater effluent of the carpet industry. The algal culture is contained within a raceway, a vertical tower reactor or a polybag, where the algal culture is optionally provided with air supplemented with carbon dioxide. The method further comprises isolating the algal biomass from the medium.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The system comprises many polybags. EXAMPLE - A consortium of native algal isolate was prepared by mixing equal quantities of wastewater isolate (including Gleocytis vesiculosa strains 1-4, Limnothrix redekei, Scenedesmus spp., Chlorococcum humicola strains 1-3, Chlorella vulgaris strains 1-3, Anabaena spp., and Chlamydomonas spp.) with biomass concentration of 0.1 g/l. Filtered and sterilized treated waste water (comprising 85-90% of industrial waste water from carpet and rug mills and sanitary sewage water) with an initial pH of 7 was added to Erlenmeyer flask (1 l). The consortium, prepared as above per se, was inoculated to achieve an initial concentration of 0.1 g/l. The flask was incubated in a temperature-controlled water bath under continuous fluorescent illumination at an irradiance of 75-80 mu mole photons m-2/second. Filtered ambient air and 6% carbon dioxide-air mixture were bubbled through the growth medium at a rate of 100 ml/minute. After 10 days, the biomass was harvested by centrifugation. Harvested algae with 15% solids were dried at 60 degrees C for 24 hours for lipid extraction. Lipids were extracted with hexane in a Soxhlet apparatus operated at 80 degrees C for 10 hours, followed by evaporation of hexane at 50 degrees C and 100 mbar to obtain lipids.