Southern Cross University researchers are aiming to halve the cost of producing omega-3 supplements to make these essential nutrients more accessible to pregnant women and infants in low-income countries, backed by the University’s first-ever grant from The Gates Foundation.
• The research aims to halve the cost of omega-3 production.
• The project uses precision fermentation to produce fish-free omega-3 from marine microorganisms called thraustochytrids.
• The researchers are testing agricultural and food-processing by-products to reduce costs.
• The research is backed by The Gates Foundation through an 18-month grant.
Professor Dirk Erler and postdoctoral researcher Dr Jasmine Haskell.
The research takes a novel approach: rather than relying on fish oil, the team is going closer to the original source of omega-3. Fish don’t produce omega-3 themselves – they accumulate it from marine microorganisms lower in the food chain.
Led by Professor Dirk Erler from Southern Cross University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, the team is investigating how to grow these naturally omega-3-producing microorganisms more cheaply through precision fermentation, including by using agricultural and food-processing by-products to provide the sugars they need to grow.
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, are important during pregnancy and early development, with DHA accumulating rapidly in the brain and retina during the third trimester. Research has also shown a link between omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy and a reduced risk of preterm birth. Globally, around one in 10 babies is born preterm each year. “The main barrier for the uptake of omega-3s as supplements in pregnant women is the cost,” Professor Erler said.
“The whole objective of our project is to reduce that cost and make omega-3 supplements more available.”
The research team at Southern Cross University, which includes biomedical scientist Dr Nedeljka Rosic, Dr Shane McIntosh, postdoctoral researcher Dr Jasmine Haskell and PhD researcher Michael Ingram, is focused on growing omega-3-producing marine microorganisms known as thraustochytrids – or ‘throstys’ for short.
“By growing those microorganisms on land through precision fermentation, we have an alternative way of producing omega-3s that is both reliable and highly targeted,” Professor Erler said.
Precision fermentation allows the researchers to grow thraustochytrids under controlled conditions to produce omega-3 oils. The team is investigating whether expensive feedstocks used in the process can be replaced with lower-cost agricultural and food-processing by-products, helping drive down the overall cost of production.
Dr Nedeljka Rosic says the production challenge is ultimately about what greater access to omega-3 could mean for women and babies.
As a biomedical scientist, my purpose is to find ways to use science to improve people’s health,” Dr Rosic said from the University’s Faculty of Health.
“This project is important because it aims to improve the health of pregnant women and children and reduce preterm births through simple dietary improvements. Healthier births can contribute to better long-term outcomes for children and communities.”
The approach could also reduce reliance on wild-caught fish as a source of omega-3 oil and create a more reliable, scalable, and local supply.
Also participating in the project is Professor Munish Puri from Massey University in New Zealand, who said the collaboration offered an opportunity to translate research into practical outcomes.
“I’m genuinely excited about this project and its potential to make omega-3s more affordable and accessible,” Professor Puri said. “The Gates Foundation brings a strong impact-driven mindset and a real commitment to translating good science into solutions that can make a difference.”
Southern Cross University researchers are exploring more affordable and sustainable ways to produce omega-3.
A lower-cost, more sustainable source
The research draws on Southern Cross University’s expertise across marine science, circular economy, analytical chemistry and human health.
The Foundation’s grant runs for 18 months, with the team aiming to achieve at least a 50 per cent reduction in the current production cost of omega-3 supplements.
If successful, the research could pave the way for commercialisation and wider adoption of the technology, with the potential to increase access to omega-3 nutrition in countries where cost remains a barrier.
The grant is the first Southern Cross University has received from The Gates Foundation and represents a significant milestone for the University.
“Being funded by The Gates Foundation for such a project is an incredible honour,” Dr Rosic said.
“To receive Southern Cross University’s first Gates Foundation grant for a project that has the potential to improve the health of women and children around the world makes us especially proud.”
PhD researcher Michael Ingram with Professor Dirk Erler in the lab.
About the grant
The project, ‘Low-Cost DHA Production Using Porous Membrane Bioreactors and Agricultural Residues,’ is supported by Grand Challenges, an initiative of the Gates Foundation, in response to the Accelerating Development of Innovative, Exceptionally Low-Cost Maternal and Child Nutrient Ingredients and Products Challenge request for proposals.
