Yield10 Bioscience, a US agricultural bioscience company, has recently obtained an exclusive technology license from Rothamsted Research, a UK-based agricultural research institute, to create omega-3 products from camelina. This collaboration began in late 2020, with Yield10 supporting Rothamsted’s Flagship Program to develop omega-3 oils in camelina.
Rothamsted Research, located in Harpenden, is a renowned non-profit research center specializing in agricultural science. Their team, led by science director Prof Johnathan Napier, has successfully produced DHA and EPA oils in camelina seed over the past decade. Yield10, headquartered in Woburn and with a subsidiary in Canada, focuses on developing crop systems and utilizing its Trait Factory and Fast Field Testing system to improve seed traits for various industries.
Yield10 plans to use genetically engineered camelina to produce commercial omega-3 oil and meal products for various markets, including aquafeed, pet food, and nutritional supplements. By leveraging Rothamsted’s technology, Yield10 aims to create omega-3 producing camelina varieties. The company’s president and CEO, Oliver Peoples, stated that by 2024, they anticipate scaling up production and obtaining regulatory approvals for commercial launch.
In addition to enhancing camelina varieties as a platform crop for producing and commercializing nutritional oils, proteins