Pharming for fish oil: Camelina plants produce omega-3 fatty acids

Scientists in the UK have genetically modified the Camelina plant to produce components of fish oils beneficial for cardiovascular health. Omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are traditionally sourced from fish, but can also be made in our bodies from another omega-3 acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in nuts and vegetable oil. Although the richest source of the omega-3 fatty acids is fish, they themselves get the acids from their diet of smaller fishes that have eaten algae. These algae can synthesize the EPA and DHA. To obtain the EPA and DHA for human consumption, every year around a million tonnes of oil is extracted from ground up fish.

An alternative and more sustainable source of EPA and DHA has now been created by Noemi Ruiz-Lopez, Richard Haslam and Jonathan Napier from Rothamsted Resarch in the UK in the form of genetically modified Camelina sative plants. These plants, of the Brassicaceae family and usually called ‘false flax’, are already rich in ALA but have been ‘boosted’ by inserting seven genes of marine algea and other photosynthetic marine organisms into their genome. The seeds of this modified plant can be extracted and purified and the resulting oil can contain up to 12% EPA and 14% DHA. In addition to these health-beneficial fatty acids, the researchers have developed the plants in such a way that they do not contain undesirable intermediate (shorter) fatty acids. These ‘green factories’ could partially replace the current need for fish oil.

Imaga © rothamsted research

Pigs that glow (in the dark)

Scientists from the South China Agricultural University in collaboration with experts from University of Hawaii at Manoa have stated that they were able to raise 10 piglets which will glow green in the dark. As explained in their article in Transgenic Research  Zhenfang Wu, Johann Urschitz, Stefan Moisyadi and others describe the use of a new technology to obtain these transgenic pigs. The scientists were able to insert the gene for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) from Aequorea Victoria  jellyfish into the porcine DNA using a new technology is called piggyBAC-mediated transposition of transgenes.

It is not the first time that such green-glowing transgenic pigs have been created. In 2006 researchers from the National Taiwan university also reported to have bred three male pigs which glow in the dark.

The ultimate goal of all this research is to introduce beneficial genes into larger animals to create less costly and more efficient medicines. This has for instance already been tried with the gene of transferrin in cows (Stier Herman of Pharming Group NV in the Netherlands as described by Krimpenfort et al in 1991).