Biopharming Case Study

A brief introduction to Biopharming.

Biopharming is a new technique of producing valuable proteins that are important in the production of pharmaceuticals (medicinal drugs). Transgenic plants are used to grow and manufacture large amounts of the desired protein. This is done through genetic engineering by inserting genes that code for the desired protein into the host animal or host plant that would not usually have those specific genes in nature, thus producing a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). The end product which is extracted from these GMO’s are recombinant proteins. These proteins are usually produced by yeast and bacteria in a bioreactor, but this method has proven to be very expensive. However, the method of Biopharming gives the producer (or pharmer) the advantage of not needing high tech, high maintenance and highly expensive infrastructure, such as a bioreactor. The producer is even able to manipulate, with relative ease, the production capacity by adjusting to meet the current demand. This all adds up to a very effective of producing raw materials for valuable pharmaceuticals.

In the case of this project, Corn or Maize is used to produce starch that enables pharmaceutical companies and industries to produce the medicinal drugs that are in high demand to help cure or slow down the effects of diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis.

Why the use of Maize?

Corn starch is very valuable to the pharmaceutical industry. The starch is used as an excipient (an inactive substance that is formulated alongside an active ingredient, this is used to prepare pharmaceuticals) and helps in the production and delivery of numerous medicines.

The reliability of corn starch as an excipient has been trusted since the early days of pharmaceu...

... middle of paper ...

...ct.

The technological field of Biopharming promises much in the sense beneficiary gains, such as cheaper and more easily accessible pharmaceutical medicines. Aspects such as increased employment and a stronger economy are always joyful statements to any country’s ear. But these gains are heavily outweighed by the negatives of the field. Simply the chance of a nation’s food supply being contaminated will cause an uproar in the population and send that nation’s government into huge regret. The world does not seem ready yet to face the ethical issues that come with the manipulation of plant genetics to create the medicine that people take for granted every day. But in saying this, it is important to remember that the field of Biopharming is still relatively young, still with all of its bugs and imperfections. Further research on creating its perfection is inevitable.