Fla. Professor Develops Anthrax Vaccine From Tobacco Plants

Fla. Professor Develops Anthrax Vaccine From Tobacco Plants

POSTED: 4:31 pm EST December 20, 2005

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A University of Central Florida professor has developed an anthrax vaccine made from genetically engineered tobacco plants -- an acre of which could produce enough medicine for the entire country, he said.

Henry Daniell's research, published in this month's edition of the Infection and Immunity Journal, showed that mice injected with his vaccine and subjected to high levels of anthrax toxin by National Institutes of Health researchers were able to withstand infection.

The tobacco was modified by injecting its chloroplast with the same protective antigen ordinarily grown along with the disease in expensive research fermenters -- a process that can sometimes taint the antigen.

"As the plants grow, we are able to make that cell into a whole plant. From one cell, every single cell of the new plant will contain 10,000 copies of this foreign gene," Daniell said.

http://www.local6.com/news/5589782/detail.html

Actually, it's really good news.

It's all part of the experiment.

Haven't you read (Douglas) Adams ?