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Author Spotlight: Optimizing Apoplast Protein Extraction for Efficient Recovery of Recombinant Proteins from Plant Cells
Published on: July 5, 2024
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The case for plant-made veterinary immunotherapeutics.
Edward Topp1, Rebecca Irwin2, Tim McAllister3
1Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, 1391 Sandford St, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada.
Biotechnology Advances
|February 16, 2016
Summary
Plants can be used to produce cost-effective vaccines and antibodies for farm animals, offering a sustainable alternative to antibiotics for disease control. This approach addresses antibiotic resistance and meets consumer demand for safer food production.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Veterinary Medicine
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Excessive antibiotic use in food animals drives pathogenic bacteria resistance.
- Regulations and consumer demand necessitate reduced antibiotic use in agriculture.
- Existing vaccines cover only a fraction of animal diseases, requiring new immunotherapeutics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for the use of plants in producing animal vaccines and antibodies.
- To present plants as a cost-effective and scalable alternative for immunotherapeutic production.
- To highlight advancements in plant-produced biologics for animal health.
Main Methods:
- Recombinant protein production in plants.
- Development of plant-based vaccines and antibodies.
- Evaluation of product efficacy, safety, and scalability.
Main Results:
- Plant-based production offers effective and safe immunotherapeutics.
- Oral administration with minimal processing is feasible.
- Scalable production with low capital investment is achievable.
Conclusions:
- Plants are a viable platform for producing veterinary vaccines and antibodies.
- This technology can mitigate antibiotic resistance in food animal production.
- Recent advances support the competitiveness and regulatory approval of plant-derived biologics.
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