{
  "abstract": "Triacylglycerols (TAGs) in human milkfat (HMF) provide over 50% of the calories for infant nutrition. Their unique architecture, featuring palmitic acid predominantly esterified at the sn-2 position, facilitates absorption as 2-palmitoyl monoacylglycerol after hydrolysis of the sn-1 and sn-3 fatty acids by gut lipases. Conventional vegetable oil-based infant formulas mimic the HMF fatty acid profile but lack its distinct regioisomeric structure, abundant medium- and long-chain triglycerides (MLCTs), and oleic-to-linoleic acid ratios that vary with maternal diet and geography. We have engineered the oleaginous green alga Auxenochlorella for biosynthesis of TAGs enriched in MLCTs, sn-2 palmitate, and linoleate via heterologous expression of acyl-acyl-carrier-protein (ACP) thioesterases, palmitate-specific lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases, and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase. These structured algal lipids replicate both the major fatty acid proportions and regioisomeric composition of authentic HMF, providing single-source bioengineered alternatives to plant-derived HMF substitutes for infant formula.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of California, Berkeley"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "J. Y.-T. Lin"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. A. Duenas"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. M. Kosina"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. T. Iavarone"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Khoo"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. D. Nicora"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. O. Purvine"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. R. Northen"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. L. Moseley"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "S. S. Merchant"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bzzhccj2g449s.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.05.15.725531",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.15.725531v2.full",
  "id": "bzzhccj2g449s",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.15.725531v2",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "synthetic biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1303|Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7161474826",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.15.725531v2.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-05-15",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bzzhccj2g449s.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:23:51Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.05.15.725531",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.15.725531v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:synthetic biology",
      "subfield": "systems-synthetic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Bioengineered algal lipids enriched in structured medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols, linoleate, and sn-2 palmitate for human milk fat substitutes",
  "title_text": "Bioengineered algal lipids enriched in structured medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols, linoleate, and sn-2 palmitate for human milk fat substitutes",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:23:51Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bzzhccj2g449s",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}