NOVELTY - Producing at least one very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC-PUFA) having a chain length of at least 28 carbons comprises: (a) providing a recombinant cell or organism comprising an elongation of very long chain fatty acids-4 (Elovl4) nucleic acid expression system which encodes an ELOVL4 protein, where the ELOVL4 protein has ELOVL4 elongase activity; (b) culturing the recombinant cell or organism; and (c) harvesting the VLC-PUFA from the cultured recombinant cell or organism.    USE - The method is useful for producing VLC-PUFA, which can be used as nutritional or pharmaceutical formulation for treating a fertility disorder or an ocular disorder in a subject and enhancing neural development and function in a subject (all claimed).    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Producing at least one very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC-PUFA) having a chain length of at least 28 carbons comprises: (a) providing a recombinant cell or organism which comprises at least one Elovl4 nucleic acid expression system which encodes an ELOVL4 protein for the production of the VLC-PUFA having a chain length of at least 28 carbons, where the ELOVL4 protein has ELOVL4 elongase activity; (b) culturing the recombinant cell or organism under conditions in causing expression of the ELOVL4 protein where the VLC-PUFA having a chain length of at least 28 carbons is produced by the recombinant cell or organism; and (c) harvesting the VLC-PUFA from the cultured recombinant cell or organism. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are:    (1) a nutritional or pharmaceutical formulation comprising a lipid component having at least one VLC-PUFA having a chain length of at least 28 carbons;    (2) a method of treating a fertility disorder or an ocular disorder in a subject having the disorder comprising administering to the subject an amount of the nutritional or pharmaceutical composition;    (3) a method of enhancing neural development and function in a subject comprising administering to the subject the nutritional supplement comprising the nutritional or pharmaceutical formulation; and    (4) a biofuel for use in an engine comprising purified oil comprising at least 5% of the VLC-PUFA having a chain length of at least 28 carbons.