It appears that hairy root cultures might herald a new generation of vaccines.

“Hairy root cultures, generated from edible plants and producing target antigens, provide a potential approach for the development of vaccines for oral delivery. With this approach, there are no protein extraction and purification costs and the active biomolecule is protected by the plant cell wall during passage through the upper gastrointestinal tract. This allows for gradual release of antigen at mucosal surfaces in the gut. Lyophilized hairy root cultures expressing vaccine antigens can be stored at ambient temperature for extended periods of time, which should facilitate storage and distribution, ultimately allowing for large populations to be vaccinated”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23649385

It’s a hell of an interesting idea, Morrie, but as an intellectual exercise, all I’m seeing is multiple points of failure. Have you got more info about this methods of dosing (than the Abstract)?

method, not methods.

Rule 303 said:

It’s a hell of an interesting idea, Morrie, but as an intellectual exercise, all I’m seeing is multiple points of failure. Have you got more info about this methods of dosing (than the Abstract)?

Not really, Rule. There is quite a lot of current interest in hairy root culture for all sorts of things. I just happened on the topic and was browsing a few articles. Biology is not my field, but it does sort of overlap with chemical engineering.

i’m sure i have heard about this recently. seems to rings a bell. dunno where though.

morrie said:

hairy root cultures

Sounds like my sort of music.

(sorry)

The Rev Dodgson said:

morrie said:

hairy root cultures

Sounds like my sort of music.

(sorry)

I grok.