For most of us, the phrase ?omega-3 fatty acids? conjures images of fish, whose oils are rich in those panaceas of modern nutrition. But our scaly friends don?t make omega-3s on their own. They need to eat something that ate something that ate microalgae, the unicellular plants which serve as the starting point for the ocean?s food chain and provide half of Earth?s atmospheric oxygen.
In recent times, researchers have begun working on new ways to cut out the piscine intermediary and get the benefits of microalgal labor directly into the human diet. One approach is to grow microalgae in culture, something that Columbia, Md.-based Martek Biosciences has been doing for some time. The first infant formula that used Martek?s microalgal omega-3 fatty acids was launched in Europe in 1994, company spokesperson Beth Parker says. Their algal oils are also used in supplements and fortified foods.
These days, the company ...
