Yield10 Files Request for Regulatory Status Review for Omega-3 Camelina

Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. has filed a request for a Regulatory Status Review (RSR) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Biotechnology Regulatory Services for elite Camelina sativa varieties modified to produce seed oil with essential omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

The request is filed under the Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent, Uniform, Responsible, Efficient (SECURE) Rule. As described in the RSR submission, the genetic pathway deployed in the omega-3 Camelina DHA1 line produces oil containing approximately 10% EPA and 10% DHA, closely resembling the omega-3 EPA/DHA fatty acid profile of northern hemisphere fish oil. Yield10 plans to conduct fieldwork with omega-3 (EPA+DHA) Camelina to begin the ramp-up of seed inventory for future planting as well as to produce omega-3 oil for use in business development activities.

The primary source of essential fatty acids EPA and DHA is ocean-caught fish, where omega-3 oil produced from anchovy harvest is the industry benchmark. Producing omega-3 fatty acids in Camelina represents a potential way to enable a reliable supply of high-quality omega-3 oils to meet the global demand for EPA and DHA.

For more details, read the press release from Yield10.