Scientists Develop Novel Method to Produce Peptides in Plants for Pharmaceutical Applications
Researchers are pioneering a groundbreaking approach to cultivate peptides,compounds with notable therapeutic potential,within plants. This innovative technique aims to create a viable food product for further testing within three years.
The research aims to have a food product ready for the next stage of trials by the end of the three-year project. Credit: Matt Davidson
The farm operations involved in this research are entirely automated, with no human intervention from the initial planting stages through to the packaging of the final product. Robots manage all processes in between.
The initial phase of this collaboration will concentrate on cultivating peptides intended for pain relief, cholesterol management, and appetite suppression. These peptides will be produced in the native Australian plant, Nicotiana benthamiana.
While these tobacco plants are not intended for consumption,they serve as efficient biological factories for generating the target peptides,which are subsequently extracted from the plant’s leaves.
The selection of Nicotiana benthamiana, discovered near Wolf Creek in Western Australia, was due to its naturally weak immune system. This characteristic
