Thursday, February 28, 2008

Grow pharmaceutical drugs by injecting proteins into plants

Source: http://www.news.com/2300-11392_3-6232201-2.html?tag=ne.gall.pg

Sonora Transplant set up a hothouse to discuss its plans to grow pharmaceutical drugs by injecting proteins into plants. The company said that the technology could be used to create nearly any drug that uses animal proteins, including treatments for diabetes and perhaps hormone therapies, but without using animals. It plans to start by developing a treatment for kennel cough in dogs. Although tomatoes were on display--Sonora Transplant grows them through grafted transplants rather than from seed--it would likely use herbs to harvest drugs.

Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET

Sonora Transplant