Molecular Farming: The New Buzzword In Biotechnology

The Biopharming Research Unit of UCT and biotechnology provider iBio Inc recently hosted a molecular farming workshop in Franschhoek. Prof Ed Rybicki, director of the unit, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the relevance of this technology for the agricultural sector.

- Glenneis Kriel

What exactly is molecular farming?

We use plants to produce high-value recombinant proteins – biologics – that can be used as reagents in laboratories, test kits, and potentially as vaccines. The plants are produced under controlled conditions, such as in a glasshouse, and specific DNA is then transferred into them. The plants are then crushed and used orally or via an injection as a pharmaceutical product.

How do molecular farming, biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) production fit together?

Molecular farming is the hi-tech end of the spectrum; it uses molecular tools and engineered plants to produce low-volume, high-value, pharmaceutical-type products. Biotechnology covers everything from beer brewing to genome engineering. Biotech methods are used either in molecular farming or to produce GM plants.

GM plants are at the high-volume, low-cost end of the spectrum. They are plants engineered for pest resistance, such as Bt maize or Bt cotton, or for herbicide resistance, such as Roundup Ready maize or soya beans. The aim with the latter is to reduce total herbicide use, improve traits, such as increase vitamin A content in Golden Rice or Golden Banana varieties, or boost drought resistance.

What was the main agricultural focus during the molecular farming workshop?

There was no real agricultural focus; these are high-value products, so you need relatively few plants to produce material that’s worth a lot of money. It will always be a technique requiring undercover propagation.

Does molecular farming show promise for the development of livestock vaccines?