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(Narrator) Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for human health,
playing an important role in heart and brain function,
as well as child and infant development.
The body can only make very small amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids,
so they need to be obtained from the food we eat.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, such as salmon and tuna,
but the original source of these healthy oils
are tiny plant like organisms in the ocean called microalgae.
Fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids because they eat these microalgae.
Fish have long been the main source of the
most beneficial Omega-3 oils, until now,
thanks to some groundbreaking research from the CSIRO.
Some plants, like flaxseed, contain some Omega-3 oils;
however they mostly provide what are called
short chain Omega-3s. Shown here is the structure
of a typical short chain Omega-3 oil, ALA, found in flax oil.
And here is the structure of DHA, the important
long chain Omega-3 oil found in fish.
This longer more complex structure of a long chain DHA
is particularly important in delivering the increased
health benefits that come from consuming fish oils.
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The Omega-3 DHA we eat is transported to the human brain, eyes,
and nervous system, where it's required for their proper development
and function, and is particularly important in infants.
Long chain Omega-3 DHA has also been found to reduce
the risk of heart disease, and it may also play a role in mental health,
depression, and various inflammatory diseases.
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CSIRO scientists are using advanced genetic
technologies to transfer the genes that make long chain
Omega-3 oils from ocean based microalgae to land
based canola plants. Unlike canola, microalgae
contain all the genes needed to make DHA.
CSIRO scientists have isolated an optimum set of
genes from microalgae that make Omega-3 DHA.
The microalgae genes are transferred into canola plant cells using a
bacterium called Agrobacterium, which uses a natural
process to transfer genes to plant cells.
Cells receiving the microalgae genes then divide and develop
into a small shoot... and finally a whole plant,
similar to how you can take a cutting from an adult plant
and regenerate it into a new plant.
The genetically modified canola plants are tested thoroughly
over a number of generations, to ensure that the plant is making DHA.
All of the steps needed to carry out this process,
as well as trialling elite canola lines and growing
commercial crops, are conducted under the strict regulatory requirements
administered by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.
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With an increasing consumer demand for Omega-3 oils, and limitations on the
ability of global fish stocks to meet the expected demand,
developing a land based source of long chain Omega-3 oils will help meet the
world's growing appetite for this important oil in a sustainable way.
CSIRO, NUSEED, and the GRDC, have established
an important research collaboration to develop a high value canola oil
which will contain the same high quality long chain
Omega-3 oil that has traditionally come from fish.
Australian farmers are set to benefit because they'll have access to
a new high value crop. They'll be guaranteed first access to this
Omega-3 canola which will help them gain a competitive advantage over
other farmers from around the world.
After commercialisation in the Australian market
Omega-3 canola oil will be targeted for global
expansion, ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply.
The Australian and global aquaculture industries will also benefit
because they'll be able to decrease their reliance
on fish oil sourced from wild fish stocks.
They'll also be able to access a reliable and sustainable source of
DHA in their production of high quality seafood products.
Those that will benefit most though are every day consumers,
both in Australia and around the world.
They'll soon have easy access to a sustainable and renewable
source of long chain Omega-3 oils that are so vital
to human health, through a wide range of products.
This project is a very exciting example of how Australian scientists,
the Australian grains industry, and the Australian agribusiness
industry, can come together to harness cutting edge research
and supply global markets with a high value product.
And with such important environmental and public health benefits
to add to the industry benefits, Omega-3 canola is one of the most
exciting research developments coming from Australian science.
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