Biopharming and

Beyond
GMOs on Steroids
Martin Donohoe
Biopharming
Theengineering of plants to produce
pharmaceuticals such as enzymes,
antibiotics, contraceptives,
abortifacients, antibodies,
chemotherapeutic agents, other
medications, vaccines, and industrial
and research chemicals
Biopharming
Rationale:
Farmers/farms cheaper than
technicians/manufacturing plants
Seeds/silos may be cheap storage system
?Cheaper drugs? doubtful given history of
pharmaceutical industry pricing patterns; also,
multiple externalized costs
Approximately 400 field tests worldwide since
1991 (over 100 in U.S.)
Top 12 Biopharm States
1 Nebraska 7 California
2 Hawaii 8 Texas
3 - Puerto Rico 9 Florida
4 Wisconsin 10 Washington
5 Iowa 11 North
Carolina
6 Kentucky 12 - Maryland
Biopharming
More than 15 companies involved in US (75
companies worldwide)
USDA conceals crop locations from public
and neighboring farmers, in most cases
hides identity of drug or chemical being
tested, citing trade secrets
Even state agriculture regulators often
unaware of info re drug or chemical
involved
Major Biopharm Crops
Corn
Soybeans

Tobacco
Rice
Examples of biopharmed crops
Drug/Chemi Use Test Crop
cal

Laccase Textiles, Corn

adhesives
Folic acid Vitamin Tomatoes

Erythropoei Anemia Tobacco

tin
Examples of biopharmed crops
Drug/Chemi Use Test Crop
cal
Essential Cell Soybeans
fatty acids membrane
production
SARS Immunizati Tomato
vaccine on
Vaccine Immunizati Rice
against on
pollen
Examples of biopharmed crops
Drug/Chemi Use Test Crop
cal
Travelers Immunization Rice, Potatoes
and other / and Corn
Diarrheas Drug
Insulin Treatment of Safflower
Diabetes
Insulin-like Diabetes, Rice
Growth Growth,
Factors Carcinogen
Potentially Harmful
Biopharmaceuticals
Substance Use Known or
Potential
Effects
Acanthocya Antioxidant, Unknown
nin in anti-cancer
tomatoes agent

Aprotinin in Blood Pancreatic

corn clotting disease,
allergic
reactions
Potentially Harmful
Biopharmaceuticals
Substance Use Known or
Potential
Effects
Anti-sperm Contracepti Adverse
antibody in on reproductiv
corn e impacts
Trypsin in Enzyme - Occupational
corn research, asthma
industrial
uses
Avidin in corn Research Vitamin B
deficiency,
Potentially Harmful
Biopharmaceuticals
Substance Use Known or
Potential Effects

Ebola immune Vaccine against Immune system

complex in highly effects
Nicotiana pathogenic,
benthamiana dangerous virus

Taliglucerase Gauchers Two similar

alfa in carrots Disease drugs made in
mammalian
cells already
available
Potentially Harmful
Biopharmaceuticals
Substance Use Known or
Potential
Effects
Tricosanthin Failed anti- Highly toxic -
in tobacco HIV drug allergic
reactions,
induced
abortions
Alpha- Digests unknown
amylase in starch to
corn sugars (aids
Opposition to Biopharming
National Academy of Sciences
Union of Concerned Scientists

British Medical Association (favors

moratorium on all GM foods)
Consumers Union
Opposition to Biopharming
Grocery Manufacturers of America
National Food Processors Association

Organic Consumers Association

Friends of the Earth

Others
Biopharm Proponents Claims
Inflated/Unrealistic
Farmers are unlikely to be major
beneficiaries:
Market forces, including foreign
competition, will drive down farmer
compensation
Acreage required very small compared
with commodity crop acreage, such that
only a small number of growers will be
needed
Genetic Modification of Algae and
Trees
GE algae (for use as fuel): dangers include
worldwide spread and possible weaponization to
destroy fish stocks
Mercury-splicing bacteria for soil cleanup
Removes Hg2+ ions from contaminated soil and
converts it into volatile elemental mercury,
which is released into the atmosphere
Problem - converted by phytoplankton to
organic mercury, dispersed widely, and then
works its way up the food chain
Genetic Modification of
Vertebrates
Aquabounty Technologys GE salmon
(contains growth hormone gene from
chinook salmon and genetic on-switch from
the ocean pout)
Designed for more rapid growth
Aquabounty states it will only produce
sterile females
Up to 15% may escape pens and
interbreed with wild stocks, decreasing
the species reproductive fitness
GE salmon have higher levels of IGF-1
Genetic Modification of Vertebrates
Tilapia/clotting factor VII
Ruppy (Ruby Puppy)
Glows red under UV light
Developed using red fluorescent gene from sea
anemones
Artist Eduard Kac:
Glow-in-the-dark rabbit
Plantimal (petunia-human hybrid)
Genetic Modification of Vertebrates

Popeye Pig Pig GM with spinach gene,

designed to have less saturated fat
Pigs modified with roundworm gene to make
their own (heart healthy) omega-3 fatty
acids
Accidentally turned up in poutry feed sold
throughout Ontario(2004)
Goats GM to make anti-nerve gas agent
Biopharming of Vertebrates
Enviropig GM modified with E. coli and
mouse DNA to digest phytates, decrease
phosphate in excrement
Phytase (pig feed supplement) does same
thing
Pig feed can already be supplemented with
phytase
Idea shelved
Genetic Modification of
Vertebrates
Cows modified to produce human milk

Proposal to genetically modify human

embryos to make all humans intolerant to
red meat (to combat global warming and
overuse of water)
 Genetic Modification of
Vertebrates
USDA Office of the Inspector General has
criticized USDA for lacking coordinated
oversight of regulations behind R and D of
GE animals and insects
Human-Animal Hybrids
Inter-species breeding
Ape-man, Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov, Guinea,
1927
Stalin attempted to create interspecies
(half-men/half-apes) super-warriors
2011: Chimeric monkey created from 6
different parents
Human-Animal Hybrids and More
UK scientists have created over 150 human-
animal hybrid embryos to develop
embyronic stem cells
De-extincting Neanderthal using human
womb
Cloning of extinct species, Pleistocene
rewilding
Synthetic Biology (Synbio)
Creation of DNA and organisms from
scratch
Applications:

Biofuels
Industrial chemicals

Natural product substitutes - Rubber,

vanilla, palm oil
Biomedical applications - Vaccine
Synthetic Biology (Synbio)
2002: Polio virus created at SUNY Stony
Brook over two years
2005: Mt Sinai, CDC researchers resurrect
lethal 1918 flu virus and publish details of
complete genome sequence
2012: Nature published instructions on how
to create plague virus
Risks of Synbio
Accidental release into wild
Displacement of wild populations

Ecosystem disruption
Extinction
Synbio and Beyond
DARPA Project to create living, breathing
creatures with possible military applications
Bio hackers (home and community
laboratory creation of GM organisms)
 Martin Donohoe
http://www.publichealthandsocialjusti
ce.org
http://www.phsj.org
martindonohoe@phsj.org