From Lab-Grown Steaks To Cancer Vaccines
As the world becomes more technologically advanced, the ways in which we use plants continue to evolve. From lab-grown steaks to cancer vaccines, plant molecular farming has opened up new avenues for utilizing plants in ways we never imagined possible. In this article, we will explore ten of the wildest and most innovative applications of molecular farming, each with an addressable market larger than a billion dollars.
While the costs of these molecular products can range from a few cents, a hundred dollars a gram (or over a million dollars for a single gram), the production platform using plants has real potential to revolutionize multiple industries with targeted plant production.
While there are incredible economic upsides to these products, navigating the regulatory hurdles for each of these products remains a daunting task. Nevertheless, dozens of companies are already producing these products in limited quantities for initial clinical trials or distribution for direct sale. These are just a few of the incredible potential applications for plant molecular farming.
1. Pharmaceuticals & Orphan Drugs
One of the most promising applications of molecular farming is the production of rare and orphan drugs. These drugs are used to treat rare diseases and are not commercially viable to produce through traditional methods. However, by using molecular farming, it is possible to introduce new potential candidates for clinical trials and produce these drugs at a fraction of the cost of traditional facilities. Additionally, by using plants as the production platform, it is possible to produce these niche drugs in large quantities in a small number of plants, making them more widely available to patients at potentially lower costs.
2. Vaccines
As Medicago demonstrated with the first approved fully plant-made vaccine, Plant Molecular Farming can be utilized for epidemics as well as pandemics. Often this can be done within 10 days to determine the immunogenicity of a new variant or product. In the era of COVID, this platform could be an additional tool with mRNA vaccines for the next regional or global pandemic.
3. Growth Factors for Cellular Ag
As alternative proteins gain interest and funding in the bioreactor space, the industry is heavily limited by products called “growth factors” to stimulate protein synthesis. Growth factors, which are sold at a premium, serve as a prime opportunity for molecular farming companies to demonstrate their technology. Currently, available growth factors – gathered from livestock or made through fermentation are incredibly expensive, often reaching $50,000 – $500,000 per gram.
4. Regenerative Medicine and Bioprinted Organs
Would healing treatments such as human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) and human collagen can also be expressed and grown in plants. While these applications are currently being used for cosmetic and reconstructive treatments (facial or breast reconstruction), they have the real potential to be utilized in the development of artificial organs - used as the scaffolded structure printed for personalized stem cells to grow on.
5. Food and Nutrition
Molecular farming can also be used to cultivate products for use in a wide variety of food and nutraceutical products. For example, by introducing genes that code for enzymes that produce omega-3 fatty acids, a molecule that is important for human health, it is possible to produce large quantities in fortified products, or for extraction to be used in vitamin products instead of fish or other animal-derived products. In addition, natural sweeteners ten thousand times as strong as sugar can also be expressed to reduce sugar intake with a fraction of a milligram, instead of natural and highly processed cane sugar - which is biologically as disruptive as its ecological production.
6. Bioplastics & Rubber
Another application of molecular farming is the production of bioplastics. Bioplastics are plastics made from renewable resources, such as plants instead of petroleum. By introducing genes that code for enzymes that break down plant material into sugars, these sugars can then be converted into bioplastics. This can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels for plastic production and decrease the environmental impact of plastics. Additionally, natural high-quality rubbers can also be derived from products like rubber-root dandelion, allowing domestic production, especially in the healthcare industry.
7. Cosmetics and Fragrances
While fragrances and cosmetics are often derived from rare and exotic plants grown in unsustainable practices worldwide, PMF can be used to produce them instead using the same host plant (nicotiana benthamiana) as for other use cases above. For example, by introducing genes that code for enzymes that produce myristic acid, the rarest active ingredient in the fragrance Orris Butter, it is possible to produce large quantities sustainably and without destructive ecological extraction.
8. Testing Antigens
As the world is familiar with at-home COVID tests, test antigens are substances used in diagnostic tests to detect the presence of antibodies or antigens in a patient's blood or bodily fluids. These tests are commonly used to diagnose infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis, and COVID-19, as well as autoimmune disorders, cancer, and allergies. These tests often rely on purified or recombinant proteins, which can be difficult and expensive to produce in large quantities, something that can be done quickly and effectively in plants.
9. Personalized Cancer Vaccines (Immuno-Oncology)
To create a personalized cancer vaccine, a small sample of the patient's tumor tissue is taken and the genetic code for the patient's unique cancer antigens is identified. This genetic code is then inserted into the plant cells, which are then grown in a controlled environment to produce the antigen. Once the antigen has been produced, it can be purified and formulated into a vaccine that is specific to the patient's cancer. This personalized vaccine can then be administered to the patient to stimulate their immune system to attack the cancer cells. While still early in clinical development, this practice has incredible potential in battling cancer worldwide.
10. Biopesticides
Molecular farming has the potential to revolutionize industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and nutrition, and bioplastics. The use of vertical farming in molecular farming can enhance the production of these molecules, making it a more efficient and sustainable process. However, there are still technical and economic challenges that need to be overcome. Further research and investment are needed to fully realize the potential of molecular farming.
These molecular products and their industries are truly the tip of the iceberg. The potential of this technology for biomanufacturing is vast and the possibilities are increasing by the day. However, it is important to note that while the benefits of molecular farming are clear, they are not without their challenges. The regulatory hurdles for these products can be daunting, and the cost of entry can be high. Nevertheless, the combined use of vertical farming and molecular farming offers a more sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient solution for producing valuable and revolutionary products.
