Plants As Bio-Factories - Way To Molecular Farming

General
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Traditional food crops farming is something we all know about but here discussing its whole different dimension ‘molecular farming’ in which plants are used to synthesize new protein molecules or other metabolites important for medicinal or other related purposes. In this technique, plants serve as ‘bio-factories’ in which these products are produced.

Applications/ benefits of molecular farming:

  • Production of dairy and/or egg proteins.
  • Production of growth factors which can be used in cultivated meat, or other ingredients that can be used in plant-based meat.
  • It is serving as a novel source of molecular medicines (plasma proteins, enzymes, growth factors, vaccines, etc.).
  • Processing is reduced as edible tissues can directly be delivered orally.
  • Cost-effective technique and consuming less energy, with comparatively fast production timelines such as 4-8 weeks approximately.

Risks/ concerns associated with molecular farming:

  • Environmental risks as molecular farming may interfere with wild populations and disrupt the normal balance of ecosystem.
  • Ethical objections regrading genetically modified organisms (GMOs) also pose barrier to widespread implementation of molecular farming.
  • Allergen contamination is considered one of the major risks in molecular farming.
  • Yield would be less as plants produce valuable proteins in small amounts and therefore, large-scale production is quite difficult.
  • Evidence-based and/or approved products are fewer as of now which slows down the development of this field and attracting less funding for it, creating regulatory uncertainty.

Despite mixed overview on advantages and disadvantages of molecular farming, it has marked its presence commercially such as Asterix Foods, Israel-based company which is using plant cell culture techniques to produce glycoproteins; IngredientWerks, US-based start-up which is making use of molecular farming to express animal proteins; and there are many more companies or start-ups working in this field. You may enlist any of them here in the discussion.

Also, share your perspective on molecular farming as emerging technique for protein production, especially in context to dietary items as well as medicines.

Molecular farming
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This could end up as a great way to provide an animal cruelty-free option for obtaining medical-grade pharmaceutical enzymes. It may even be used to improve vegan options by providing animal proteins through a plant-based diet.

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While certain regulatory and ethical concerns persist, molecular farming remains a powerful tool for building a more equitable and sustainable future in both medicine and nutrition.

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Well explained. Molecular farming is a promising, cost effective approach for future medicines and sustainable protein production, provided safety and regulatory challenges are addressed.