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Molecular Farming
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Plant Manufactured Proteins
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Demand for biological drugs (biopharmaceuticals) has dramatically increased over the past decade and is expected to reach $110 billion by 2010. The current mammalian cell culture methods used for biopharmaceutical manufacturing entail high costs with limited capacity and suitability. Building new mammalian cell culture facilities is characterized by extremely long process development, high and rigid capital investment requirements ($250M -$500M) and significant operating costs. Rapid market growth is pushing drug-makers to seriously seek less costly and more flexible production methods.
Transgenic plants are currently considered to be the alternative protein production platform with the highest potential. Production of human proteins in plants has additional economic and qualitative benefits, including reduced health risks from pathogen contamination such as prions and mammalian viruses, higher yields, lower capital requirements and operating costs, faster scale up and much greater production flexibility.
Evogene has developed a proprietary tomato trichome cell-based platform that addresses the key success factors required for a suitable platform. With about 100,000 trichome hairs per 1 gram of tomato leaf, and the trichome cells naturally accumulating in a single protein (PPO enzyme) that accounts for 60% of total protein content, the achievable accumulation rate and protein concentration are very high. Extraction is relatively simple since trichome cells burst upon the mildest contact (like with insects).
Successful proof of concept was performed by producing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and Interferon beta using modified wild tomato plants.
Evogene is currently seeking partnership with pharmaceutical companies for introduction of target proteins.
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