**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** LUTEIN IS A POTENT ANTIOXIDANT AND AN ESSENTIAL DIETARY BIO-COMPOUND FOR INFANT HEALTH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE EYE AND BRAIN HEALTH. LUTEIN IS THE PREDOMINANT CAROTENOID IN BREAST MILK, EMPHASIZING ITS IMPORTANCE FOR INFANT HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, INFANTS WHO ARE NOT EXCLUSIVELY BREAST-FED MAY NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN ENOUGH LUTEIN BEFORE SOLID FOODS ARE INTRODUCED AND THE BIOAVAILABILITY OF LUTEIN IN INFANT FORMULA IS LOW. THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP LUTEIN EMULSION-FORTIFIED INFANT FORMULA AND ASSESS THEIR STABILITY, BIOAVAILABILITY, AND FUNCTIONALITY IN NEONATAL RATS. THIS ISA FORTIFICATION STRATEGY OF USING MICRO-ENCAPSULATION TECHNIQUE TO ENHANCE THE EFFIENCY OF THE BIO-ACTIVE COMPOUND, LUTEIN, IN FOOD. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST EFFORT TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF LUTEIN EMULSION-FORTIFIED FORMULA ON IMPROVING THE BIOAVAILABILITY AND THE ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ABILITY OF LUTEIN.THE FORMULA TO BE DEVELOPED IN THIS STUDY WILL BE TESTED IN FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS. IT HAS A GREAT POTENTIAL TO BE UTILIZED AS A NUTRITIONAL APPROACH TO MAXIMIZE THEHEALTH EFFECTS OF LUTEIN, BENEFITING NEWBORNS AND INFANTS, ESPECIALLY THE AT-RISK GROUPS.