Pharming the Fields

"Pharming the Fields" (aka. biopharming) is the production of pharmaceuticals proteins from genetically engineered crops. Although biopharming is a relatively new field, it has made numerous advancements in the past twenty years. Biopharming was developed as a cheap alternative to previous protein-based drug production. Other protein-based drug production require the use of expensive fermetnation facilities. Biopharmaceuticals extracted from animal and human tissues are also much more costly than plant made pharmaceuticals and carry the risk of spreading infectious disease. Plant-made pharmaceuticals have to potential to create affordable and flexible healthcare for everyone. The video below summarizes the process of creating a plant-made vaccine.