SBIR-STTR Award

Winget Biotechnology is in the business of developing health and food products from algae. The product described in this proposal is eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an essential fatty acid with prophylactic applications to cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Among its clinical benefits is the inhibition of thrombogenesis. The proposed research is to identify optimum conditions for producing high purity EPA from aquaculture of microalgae in a natural food form. The project will use a 3- dimentional factorial design to assess the effects of environmental parameters on algae growth and EPA production as a moiety of certain advantageous lipids.This experimentation will be conducted on approximately 10 species of marine microalgae. Fatty acid synthesis in microalgae is greatly affected by these parameters. Outside of genetic engineering, these are the most potent aspects of technology development for the production of a farmed source of EPA. The targeted lipids are not available in sufficient quantities in fish oil, which is the only source o EPA now on the market, and present considerable organoleptic and product purity advantages to consumers and to the research community conducting clinical trials on EPA.National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

BioMarine Technologies, Inc., is in the business of developing high-value chemicals from cultured microalgae. The products in this project are three forms of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an essential fatty acid with therapeutic and prophylactic applications for cardiovascular patients.The goal is to develop the technology to produce these products for less than $1.00 per gram. The procedure involves scale-up of aquaculture, extraction, and purification technologies developed in Phase I on a species of algae selected in Phase I. Technological focus is on aquaculture environmental engineering and on chromatography. Subsequent research will produce pharmaceuticalgrade EPA to be sold as a prescription to treat cardiovascular patients.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research:Initially, this research will provide high-purity EPA concentrate to research laboratories for efficacy studies. The longterm market is a pharmaceutical-grade EPA for the treatment of angioplasty and coronary bypass patients and possibly inflammatory diseases.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)