Researchers have reported the first successful use of a genetically engineered high-POA-producing strain of the heterotrophic microalga Prototheca moriformis, pointing to its potential as a production host rather than just a lab-scale system.
That distinction is relevant for an ingredient that has seen growing interest but limited scale.
The study, which was partially funded by Société des Produits Nestlé SA and California-based biotech company Checkerspot, builds on earlier work, including a review published in February that summarized existing evidence around POA’s potential roles in skin health and metabolic function. In the review, which received no external funding, researchers highlighted a mix of in vitro, animal and limited human data, pointing to possible benefits in skin barrier function, hydration and lipid metabolism.
Diving deep into the data
For POA suppliers, most material is sourced from sea buckthorn, with some contribution from fish-derived sources, and both can be difficult to standardize. “It’s a relatively unstandardized domestic crop, and it’s very affected by seasonal variations,” Casey Littmeier, CTO of Checkerspot, told NutraIngredients in an exclusive first-look interview.
For manufacturers, that variability can show up quickly, whether in potency, formulation decisions or finished product claims.
The new study focuses instead on controlled production. As reported by researchers, the engineered P. moriformis strain reached more than 50% POA of total fatty acids during screening, compared to under 1% in the original strain. In shake-flask experiments, levels climbed to 58.2%.
When tested in a 1 L fed-batch fermentation, the system produced 47.8 g/L of lipids with POA accounting for 43.5% after 96 hours, or roughly 20.8 g/L. The authors note that the profile shifted somewhat at higher cell densities, but the overall POA enrichment remained.
They also point back to earlier work showing that P. moriformis can be run at much larger fermentation volumes, which is where the commercial argument starts to take shape.
In consideration of commercialization
From an industry standpoint, the appeal is fairly straightforward. Fermentation offers more control than agricultural or marine sourcing, both in terms of inputs and output consistency.
That feeds into cost as well. “We have a much more stable cost proposition for the long term,” Littmeier said, pointing to reduced exposure to fisheries and other constrained raw materials.
For now, most commercial activity around POA remains in supplements and beauty-from-within, where the ingredient already has some traction. Evidence on skin hydration and barrier function is often cited, while metabolic benefits remain under exploration.
If supply becomes more predictable, though, the range of applications could widen. The study itself points to potential across nutrition, personal care and related categories, assuming further work on both process optimization and clinical validation.
At this stage, the science around POA is still evolving. The manufacturing side, however, may be starting to catch up.
Listen now to our exclusive conversation.
