A novel genetically engineered oilseed: A controlled assessment of two bioactive substances intended for commercialization

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Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are essential fatty acids that are produced only by aquatic plants (these compounds are not found in terrestrial plants) and are critical to our neurological and cardiovascular health. However, we (and indeed all other vertebrates) do not make these compounds very efficiently, so they must, in large part, be obtained from the diet (e.g. by eating fish and/or fish oil pills). Sourcing EPA and DHA from wild fish is quickly becoming both environmentally- and economically-unsustainable. As a solution to this problem, oilseed crops (such as canola and camelina) have been genetically engineered (GE) to produce EPA and DHA at levels similar to fish oil, which can then be used by several different industries (nutraceuticals, aquaculture) to replace fish oil. Linnaeus Plant Sciences (LPS) is keen to grow and commercialize GE camelina in Canada, and would be the first to do so on a commercial scale globally. However, commercialization will require testing to demonstrate that introducing GE camelina to the Canadian agroecosystem will not unduly benefit crop pests. We propose to conduct the initial research required to begin the commercialization process, understand the effects, and transfer this key knowledge to LPS. To begin the assessment process, we plan to investigate the effect of EPA and DHA on the biology of crop pests.