Applied genomic breeding more nutritious kelps for human and animal food

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Macrobreed LLC $173,223 on September 30, 2025, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop a breeding program for sugar kelp cultivars with reduced iodine and heavy metal content.

The project aims to lower production costs for the domestic kelp farming industry while improving food safety and nutritional value. Current kelp production requires energy-intensive blanching to remove excess iodine accumulated during ocean cultivation before the product enters food pipelines; blanching also strips nutritional content. By breeding sugar kelp strains that naturally accumulate less iodine, the project will reduce blanching requirements and associated production costs while preserving nutritional value. The work also addresses heavy metal accumulation in kelp, which varies by strain and location. These improvements are intended to help the nascent U.S. kelp farming industry compete with wild-harvested and imported Asian kelp while opening new downstream markets.

The period of performance runs from September 30, 2025, to May 30, 2027. Work is performed in Los Angeles, California. This is a Phase I SBIR award focused on demonstrating technical feasibility of the breeding approach and advancing the innovation toward commercialization.