Algae have attracted significant attention for their ability to produce products such as proteins, lipids (omega 3, 6 and 9), nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and dyes. Being a photosynthetic organism, it relies on light for energy, and thus, growth. The prevailing choice of light source at cultivation sites is sunlight (whose spectrum algae are adapted to) since it is free. The main drawback of using this source is that it is not consistent: e.g., there are less hours of sunlight in spring compared to summer, and changing weather conditions can impact light intensity at much shorter timescales. This drawback can be overcome by using supplemental artificial lighting or by using artificial lighting only; options that can additionally provide new possibilities, such as allowing for a tailored spectrum to boost the production of certain compounds (e.g., using blue light to boost pigment production). However, such a practice is often financially unfeasible due to electricity costs. Methods to optimize growth per unit of electricity are therefore of great interest to drive down costs. One promising method involves fluctuating the light intensity at specific frequencies to optimally drive photosynthetic reactions, but studies have been conflicting. This project aims to rigorously evaluate the use of fluctuating light for boosting the growth rate of algae.