Single Cell Oils

Featuring recognized academic and industrial experts in this cutting-edge field, this book reviews single cell oils (SCO) currently in the market. The text mainly focuses on the production of the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, Arachidonic acid, and Docosahexaenoinc acid. All chapters provide up to date references for navigating the vast amount of historic data available in the field. The authors provide real world examples of the commercial development and applications of various SCO in a variety of fields, from food ingredients and disease treatment to aquaculture and fish farming.

The highlight of the book is perhaps the first chapter in which Colin Ratledge, a world renowned expert in SCO and lipid biochemistry, gives an interesting and informative overview on the history of SCO development, together with his perspectives on the future of this industry in light of competition arising from genetically modified plant oils. Zvi Cohen, a renowned expert in PUFA-producing microalgae, describes some of his metabolic studies on PUFA production and TAG biosynthesis. Chapter 10 deals with EPA-producing microalgae and some cultivation strategies for their large scale production. This chapter includes a number of tables summarizing the various organisms under investigation which I found to be of great use. Since the development of EPA single cell oils is still in its infancy, this chapter is quite helpful for researchers thinking along those lines.