Could you imagine a world in which clinical treatments for illnesses such as cancer grew on trees? Professor Julian Ma of St George’s, University of London, UK, is doing just this: growing antibodies – proteins made by the immune system to target pathogens – in transgenic tobacco plants.
This manufacturing technique, called molecular pharming, has been in development for 20 years, but regulatory hurdles have only recently been overcome. Now, molecular pharming facilities worldwide are growing regulatory-standard biopharmaceuticals using robotic automation.
Read full, original article: How Plant Biotechnology Can Give Us Better Food and Medicines
