|
Mostly_Harmless
wyrd bið ful aræd



Registered: 05/12/09
Posts: 5,043
Loc: Perfidious Albion
|
Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another 1
#22225599 - 09/12/15 02:57 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/us-science-plant-idUSKCN0RA2GI20150910
Quote:
Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another
 Stanford chemical engineering professor Elizabeth Sattely explains how she produced a common cancer drug in a laboratory plant, in this undated handout picture courtesy of Stanford University.
A number of important drugs come from plants, but some medicinal plants are endangered or tricky to grow. For some scientists, finding ways to ensure ready access to these drugs has become a priority.
Researchers on Thursday said they have identified the genes that enable an endangered Himalayan plant to produce a chemical vital to making a widely used chemotherapy drug, and inserted them into an easily grown laboratory plant that then produced the same chemical.
The endangered plant, called the mayapple, produces a precursor chemical to the chemotherapy drug etoposide, which is used in many patients with lung cancer, testicular cancer, brain cancer, lymphoma, leukemia and other cancers.
The researchers genetically engineered the easily grown laboratory plant Nicotiana benthamiana, a wild relative of tobacco, to make the chemical.
"Many plant-based drugs are not found in large quantities in nature and are difficult to make in the lab," said Stanford University chemical engineering professor Elizabeth Sattely, who led the study published in the journal Science.
"Mimicking the way nature makes these molecules is a promising alternative, but to do that we need to find the genes. This can be a major challenge because plant genomes can be very large and genes are hard to find," Sattely said.
The researchers said they discovered six genes from the mayapple plant that in combination with four previously known genes produce the chemical needed to make the chemotherapy drug.
"We used these genes to engineer a wild relative of tobacco to make the drug precursor and think we could also use these genes to make the drug in other easy-to-grow organisms such as yeast," Sattely said.
The tobacco plant or yeast would provide the ability to produce the drug in a controlled laboratory setting. Researchers led by another Stanford scientist last month unveiled a new method to make potent painkilling opioids using bioengineered baker's yeast instead of poppies.
"Producing plant-derived drugs in easy-to-grow plants or baker's yeast in many cases will be a much more efficient way to make these drugs," Sattely said. "This is currently being done for artemisinin (a malaria drug derived from the sweet wormwood plant), and will likely be the way we make morphine (derived from poppies) in the future."
|
azur
God of Fuck



Registered: 04/21/12
Posts: 28,103
Loc: Daid
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Mostly_Harmless]
#22225987 - 09/12/15 07:26 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Whoa. That's pretty awesome
|
nuentoter
conduit



Registered: 09/17/08
Posts: 2,721
Last seen: 7 years, 21 days
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: azur] 3
#22226147 - 09/12/15 08:37 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Cant wait till thc/cbd producing lettuce and tomatoes hit the market
--------------------
The geometry of us is no chance. We are antennae, we are tuning forks, we are receiver and transmitters of all energy. We are more than we know. - @entheolove "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for" - Georgia O'Keefe I think the word is vagina
|
impatientguy
Ganjalf a very mighty lab wizard



Registered: 11/26/14
Posts: 5,054
Loc: USA
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: nuentoter]
#22226881 - 09/12/15 12:18 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Holy shit man that's fucking amazing Like all of it. Yeast that makes opiods wtf awesome!!
|
Salomon
ಠ︵ಠ balance ಠ_ಠ weaver ಠ‿ಠ

Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 25,128
Loc: America, FUCK YEAH
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: impatientguy]
#22227466 - 09/12/15 02:59 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
where my psilocybin apples be at?
-------------------- EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY BECOMES A DESERT
|
Shroomopotamus
Happy Mushrooming



Registered: 09/27/09
Posts: 18,757
Loc: Funkotron
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Salomon]
#22228796 - 09/12/15 08:04 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Salomon said: where my psilocybin apples be at?
all good things in all good time
-------------------- * Live by the mushroom, die by the mushroom
    This is a trap! A trap! You are all busted! Busted! You fools!
If a time comes where I fail to appear I've been abducted and I will miss you all Please smile and pet puppies as often as possible Be happy Be nice (<3);}
|
MichAnon.ael
Dark Stranger


Registered: 12/15/14
Posts: 892
Last seen: 6 years, 11 months
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Shroomopotamus]
#22229218 - 09/12/15 09:55 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Psh, there's a ton of those around here. Kinda unnecessary if u ask me.
Yes, the american version contains the same chemicals.
Not a fan of GMO
|
champinhom
Lord Justhappensness


Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 987
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Salomon]
#22231243 - 09/13/15 11:32 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Salomon said: where my psilocybin apples be at?
for now, you will have to mix mushroom powder into your apple sauce--thus producing, with relative ease, some of the worst tasting apple sauce in the history of the world.
-------------------- My father used to say: I don't care what else you do in life, just don't be an asshole. People, forgive me when I forget what my daddy said. Cut back the proliferating list of people whose opinions can hurt you. Unless they have done or want to do you some good, their views are just not worth tracking. Saul Bellow “People are just cannibals unless they leave each other alone.” Doris Lessing Those whom the gods would save, they dower with compassion. Mr. P. Silocybin
Edited by champinhom (09/13/15 11:35 AM)
|
Urist
The Dwarf



Registered: 02/11/15
Posts: 372
Loc: A Dwarf Fortress
Last seen: 5 months, 17 days
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Mostly_Harmless]
#22233683 - 09/13/15 07:38 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
lol I made a thread about this kind of stuff on the pub not too long ago. Most of it was just wild speculation, so it's cool to see that this kind of thing is actually possible.
|
Urist
The Dwarf



Registered: 02/11/15
Posts: 372
Loc: A Dwarf Fortress
Last seen: 5 months, 17 days
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: MichAnon.ael]
#22233706 - 09/13/15 07:43 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
MichAnon.ael said: Not a fan of GMO
Do you actually have a reason other than "hurr durr it isn't natural"? Because GMO stuff usually causes no harm to people whatsoever, so being against all GMO products is pretty ignorant.
|
Salomon
ಠ︵ಠ balance ಠ_ಠ weaver ಠ‿ಠ

Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 25,128
Loc: America, FUCK YEAH
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Urist] 1
#22233807 - 09/13/15 08:01 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Urist said:
Quote:
MichAnon.ael said: Not a fan of GMO
Do you actually have a reason other than "hurr durr it isn't natural"? Because GMO stuff usually causes no harm to people whatsoever, so being against all GMO products is pretty ignorant.
monsanto is the devil.
unless you're buying your veggies from the headiest of hippie stores, you're probably already eating gmo.
deliciousness really. shit's the future, there's no stopping pandora's box
-------------------- EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY BECOMES A DESERT
|
Urist
The Dwarf



Registered: 02/11/15
Posts: 372
Loc: A Dwarf Fortress
Last seen: 5 months, 17 days
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Salomon] 1
#22233973 - 09/13/15 08:33 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Ok I agree that Monsanto is evil as fuck, but that's not because they use GMOs.....it's because they are greedy and willing to fuck people over for money.
|
Toadstool5
A Registered Mycophile



Registered: 01/22/15
Posts: 1,359
Loc: The Golden State
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Urist]
#22235253 - 09/14/15 02:01 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Fighting cancer with tobacco 
There were rumors of bacteria with the genome to make dmt from tryptophan transferred to it on the old hive boards. Many of those bees made gmo stuff, there was even an article on mescaline from eucalyptus wood.
-------------------- If you do not know where the mushroom products you are consuming are grown, think twice before eating them. - Paul Stamets AMU Teks Stro's Write Ups
|
Urist
The Dwarf



Registered: 02/11/15
Posts: 372
Loc: A Dwarf Fortress
Last seen: 5 months, 17 days
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Toadstool5]
#22235316 - 09/14/15 03:18 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I feel like eating eucalyptus wood would be much harder than san pedro slime soup...
|
CliftonGK1
Sasquatch



Registered: 03/27/13
Posts: 327
Loc: A place
Last seen: 8 hours, 53 minutes
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Urist] 1
#22235445 - 09/14/15 05:39 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Urist said: Ok I agree that Monsanto is evil as fuck, but that's not because they use GMOs.....it's because they are greedy and willing to fuck people over for money.
I think you nailed it right there. It's not about it being a GMO or not, it's about the type and application of the GM. Monsanto uses GM to create things which are drought and pest resistant, which is good. Then they make sure to collect and genetically test from farms anywhere near where their purchased seeds have been planted, and if any of their genetic markers show up from cross-pollination, they sue the farm into oblivion; which is total crap.
When I started out in lab work, I was with a company which did nothing but genetic modifications of cultured cells for the specific purpose of diagnosing viral infections. Nothing evil or underhanded about that. At least, not that I know of.
|
MichAnon.ael
Dark Stranger


Registered: 12/15/14
Posts: 892
Last seen: 6 years, 11 months
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Urist]
#22235584 - 09/14/15 07:38 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Urist said:
Quote:
MichAnon.ael said: Not a fan of GMO
Do you actually have a reason other than "hurr durr it isn't natural"? Because GMO stuff usually causes no harm to people whatsoever, so being against all GMO products is pretty ignorant.
Do i need another reason?
But for situations like this. Totally unnecessary with so many mandrakes around. Or take corn, the corn worms are becoming immune to the pesticides they're making rendering the modification useless and now we're eating this shit. No labels, no long term studies, banned in Europe, and now some fucking company claims to own the corn THEY SOLD. Bullshit. Takin out neighboring farmers and sucking them into their game. It's the same way with other farm markets, farmers own everything that cost money, land, equipment, ect, and the company claims the final product and the only thing in the process that makes money. John Oliver had a great episode on it..
It's like, we got no labels, pesticide corn, arsenic chicken, hormone beef and we're saposed to be greatful for this shit?! Fuck that
|
Mental Taco



Registered: 07/02/14
Posts: 2,290
Loc: Hell
Last seen: 6 years, 8 months
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: MichAnon.ael]
#22235841 - 09/14/15 09:59 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Cool stuff we are capable nowadays 
Wonder how this will affect prices of meds? Wonder how much the process to obtain the meds really effects the price? I
-------------------- Did you not know that the royal hunting grounds are always forbidden?
|
Pastywhyte
Say hello to my little friend



Registered: 09/15/12
Posts: 37,810
Loc: Canada
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Mental Taco]
#22238895 - 09/14/15 10:04 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
So how long to I gotta wait for Tomacco?
Mmmmn Tomacco. . .
|
Urist
The Dwarf



Registered: 02/11/15
Posts: 372
Loc: A Dwarf Fortress
Last seen: 5 months, 17 days
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22239492 - 09/15/15 01:17 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Tomaccos are already a thing.
|
brk
Unless...


Registered: 04/10/14
Posts: 10,210
Loc: SA
|
Re: Scientists shift medicinal properties from one plant to another [Re: champinhom]
#22239514 - 09/15/15 01:40 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
champinhom said:
Quote:
Salomon said: where my psilocybin apples be at?
for now, you will have to mix mushroom powder into your apple sauce--thus producing, with relative ease, some of the worst tasting apple sauce in the history of the world.
-------------------- "To the young it gives a vision of the dead and gone. While the old receive a passion to survive, and the pattern picks the pockets of the palindrome, before the oscillating rhythm takes to flight..." - Rishloo

|
|