ABC’s of Biotech

A rather fascinating account of how one biotech firm is raising genetically altered tobacco plants as remedies for two common ailments – tooth decay and the common cold.

Several interesting points…

The company has found tobacco is especially well-suited to transgenic work because, unlike rice and corn, it’s not a food crop. Engineers also know a lot more about its genetics.

The radically lower production costs associated with plant-based biotech is another factor. With plant-based genetics, for example, companies need only increase the size of the crop following a spike in demand --- a lot less expensive than manufacturing a new facility.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at April 26, 2004 09:18 AM | TrackBack