VPB 321: Animal Biotechnology (2+1)

BIOPHARMING

• Biopharming is known as the production of pharmaceutical proteins using genetically engineered plants.
• Bio-pharming has the promise to produce large and low-cost supplies of pharmaceutical drugs which includes vaccines for infectious diseases and therapeutic proteins for treatment of cancer and heart diseases.
• The proteins produced by the genetically engineered plants are called as Plant-made pharmaceuticals (PMPs).
• The most common biopharm crops grown in US field trials are corn, tobacco and rice.
• Other crops being studied include alfalfa, potato, soybean, sugarcaen and tomato.