Development and Large-Scale Production of Human Milk Fat Analogue by Fermentation of Microalgae

This was a really rewarding collaboration to work on. There was a major interdisciplinary effort to really drive results of what I really believe is an important molecule that is not naturally found in high abundance in commercial oil systems. The team really worked hard to not simply show an academic proof of concept that the breastmilk analog oil can be made but went the extra mile to demonstrate it can be made at industrial levels.

One of the more important things I learned working with this team is that there are a lot of good ideas out there but going from idea to commercialized product is not a trivial task. In the end, however, putting in the work is worthwhile as it moves you toward the goal of getting your product to market where it can actually make a difference in peoples lives. As the current parent of an infant child I understand how important early childhood nutrition and how better formula err… formulations can make a huge impact on childhood nutrition and family livelihoods.