Pond Pills
Protein-based drugs are big business, worth more than $17 billion a year. Genetically engineered bacteria and yeast efficiently churn out many protein pharmaceuticals, but as the proteins get more complex, the simple microbes sometimes fail. Drugmakers must then turn to increasingly expensive systems to make the proteins, which drives prices through the roof. Pittsboro, NC-based Biolex may have found an alternative: genetically engineer duckweed, a flowering pond plant, to secrete human proteins. The tiny plants grow very rapidly in a simple nutrient solution-doubling in population every 36 hours-and contain exceptionally large amounts of proteins. Biolex has proved the plants can do the work by using them to make complex therapeutic proteins such as interferons, which are used to treat some forms of cancer and hepatitis. The company is tweaking the system to increase efficiency and says that duckweed-produced drugs could be ready for testing in two to four years.
Keep Reading
Most Popular

Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid
Drugs that rejuvenate our immune systems and make us biologically younger could help protect us from the disease’s worst effects.

These materials were meant to revolutionize the solar industry. Why hasn’t it happened?
Perovskites are promising, but real-world conditions have held them back.

The baby formula shortage has birthed a shady online marketplace
Desperate parents just want to feed their babies. They’re having to contend with misinformation, price gouging, and scams along the way.

I tried to buy an Olive Garden NFT. All I got was heartburn.
Our newest issue spells out what you need to know about the dizzying world of digital money.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.