Prepare vaccines from green plants, why not?

First of all, scientists at the John Innes Biological Center created genetic code that acts as a "guide" to plants that produce polio bacteria. Next, they put the gene code into the bacteria in the ground to allow them to penetrate the tree.

After being invaded, the tree will read the 'instructional code' and produce the bacterial pseudobulbs (VLP) like polio bacteria.

VLP particles produced by plants have an outer shell structure that is exactly the same as polio bacteria and has enough elements to be remembered by the immune system, but not able to make the body infected.

When tested on animals, the animals injected with the VLP-containing dose were immune to polio.

Diverse application direction

The project was funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the hope of finding a new polio vaccine .

The plant with the same family as the tobacco plant has become a polio vaccine factory.(Photo: AFP).

Dr. Andrew Macam at the British National Institute of Microbiology standards, said: 'The vaccine for polio is now produced using a lot of live bacteria, so there is a risk of bacteria accidentally escaping and causing get sick '.

'This study (producing polio vaccine for green plants) brings us closer to the replacement of the current vaccine, offering a cost-effective and effective solution' - Mr. Macam said .

Experts believe that this is an impressive and extremely important discovery. Not only is paralysis, the new approach hopes to be the solution of epidemics like Zika or Ebola.

Professor George Lomonossoff from John Innes Biological Center, shared on the BBC: "It is a promising technology, and I hope soon we will start producing vaccines in the tree ."

Specifically, scientists only need to have the appropriate genetic code to produce vaccines for different types of bacteria.

Previously, plants were also used to produce drugs to support cancer treatment. In addition, green plants are being used to develop flu vaccines.

Cheap but not yet popular

The biggest advantage of the tree is the growth rate. Plants grow quickly and only need sunlight, soil, water and carbon to grow. Thus, it will be a fast, economical solution and requires less technology and machinery.

However, this approach also has some weaknesses, such as how to produce vaccines in large quantities.

In addition, in the polio vaccine production project, scientists used tobacco plants. So is the nicotine addiction in the vaccine?

Dr. Tarit Mukhopadhyay, a vaccine professor at the University of London, said: 'The initial results are impressive. However, there are very few vaccine manufacturers that use plants and there is almost no licensed vaccine produced from plants'.

Denis Murphy, a professor of biotechnology at the University of South Wales, said: 'This is an important achievement. The challenge now is how to optimize and start clinical trials of new vaccines. '

Polio can cause permanent paralysis. Although it no longer appears in many countries, the disease has not been completely eradicated.