Aquaculture is a superior way to provide nutritious, healthy protein without destroying the ocean's fisheries, which are already significantly depleted

The Xylome Corporation received a $174,255 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program project grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop sustainable aquaculture feeds. The SBIR program aims to support scientific innovation through federal research funding to strengthen the national economy.

Under this award, Xylome will engineer yeast to synthesize long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from corn byproducts through fermentation. These omega-3 oils will be combined with soy protein and amino acids to create a fish-free, sustainable feed for domestic aquaculture that does not rely on wild fish stocks or meal. This novel aquaculture feed is intended to support inland fish farms in the Midwest and increase domestic food security through localized production. The project commenced July 1, 2022 and is scheduled to conclude by February 28, 2023.

More than half the fish we now consume are produced in aquaculture. According to government estimates, between 70 and 85 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. Is imported, and by value, more than 90% of the seafood we eat originates abroad. Even though domestic aquaculture production has grown 12 to 14% per year, the U.S. Ranksonly 17TH in global aquaculture production.by increasing domestic aquaculture, we could greatly expand food production while assuring its safety and retaining jobs at home. One problem with aquaculture is that fish are FED SOY protein and vegetable oil, which lacks omega-3 fatty acids. To maintain the high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids that give fish some of their most important nutritional qualities, IT is necessary to use fish meal, which is derived from the fish waste produced from filleting or by grinding up small fish that would otherwise be consumed by wild salmon, tuna, or sharks. Unfortunately, this means that domestic aquaculture using fish meal to supply omega-3 fatty acids is not sustainable. The work to be undertaken in this project will create a new source for omega-3 fatty acids by converting byproducts from grain processing into clean, sustainable, nutritious oils through fermentation. Xylome has developed a yeast that generates large amounts of oil from corn syrup and inorganic nutrients. By modifying the metabolism of these yeasts, they will be able to synthesize long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for brain development in children, and mental acuity in adults. We will combine these oils with SOY protein and essential amino acids to create a clean, sustainable, fish-free feed for domestic aquaculture.xylome envisions supplying this novel aquaculture feed to inland fish farms in the midwest, close to the centers for corn and SOY production. This will increase domestic food security by producing all the essential constituents in the U.S. While increasing food safety by cultivating fish under controlled conditions. This approach will also improve conservation and recovery by recycling water, and IT will greatly reduce carbon emissions by cutting back open sea trawling and fisheries. Finally, IT will contribute to ecosystem preservation by providing a complete aquaculture feed that will not depend on or affect wild fish stocks.