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US biotech company Checkerspot has successfully developed what it claims is a ‘world-first’ ingredient: a high-oleic palm oil alternative produced entirely through the fermentation of microalgae.

Checkerspot leveraged classical strain improvement techniques to enhance oil yield and composition using the microalgae Prototheca moriformis.

According to the company, its resulting oil closely matches the fatty acid profile of conventional high-oleic palm oil, offering over 55% oleic acid and 32% palmitic acid. The achievement was accomplished without genetic engineering, aligning with growing demand for non-GMO ingredients.

The fermentation process has demonstrated scalability from laboratory to industrial levels, achieving oil titers up to 145g per litre and oil content comprising approximately 70% of the dry cell weight.

Checkerspot’s oil can therefore be used across multiple applications, including food and nutrition, where high-oleic palm oil is widely used as a key ingredient.

Scott Franklin, chief scientific officer and co-CEO of Checkerspot, said: “This milestone underscores our commitment to developing domestically produced, sustainable, high-performance alternatives to conventional oils”.

“By leveraging microalgae fermentation, we’ve created a scalable solution that addresses both environmental concerns and the supply chain vulnerabilities associated with the production of tropical fats such as high-oleic palm oil.”

Traditionally, high-oleic palm oil is cultivated in Latin America – particularly in Colombia and Ecuador – where reliance on hybrid pollination systems poses challenges due to high costs, labour intensity and environmental impact, including deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.

Checkerspot therefore aims to offer a consistent and scalable alternative by bypassing conventional agriculture and producing oil directly at the molecular level. This aligns with its mission to harness biotechnology for creating renewable, high-performance ingredients.

The company has already scaled the production of several other alternative oils developed in its lab and has confirmed that it is moving toward commercial viability with work already underway alongside partners in the palm oil alternatives market.