Molecular farming

Molecular farming involves genetically modifying plants to produce valuable proteins and chemicals by inserting genes into the host organism. These plants become biofactories capable of large-scale production of high-value compounds, which are otherwise challenging and costly to manufacture.

There are several ways to advance the industry:

• Genetic engineering improvements: Enhancing gene editing techniques to increase yield and stability of the proteins produced.
• Scaling production: Developing better separation and purification methods to transition to commercial-scale production.
• Enhancing regulatory frameworks: Streamlining approval processes while ensuring safety and efficacy of the produced compounds.
• Public acceptance and education: Increasing awareness about the benefits and safety of molecular farming products to build consumer trust.
• Investment in research and development: Encouraging public and private funding to explore new applications and improve existing methodologies​​.

• Types of products: Both technologies can in principle produce the same target molecules.
• Hosts used: Molecular farming utilizes living plants, while precision fermentation primarily uses microorganisms like bacteria and yeast.
• Production environments: Molecular farming can be integrated into existing agricultural infrastructures, using fields and greenhouses. Precision fermentation, on the other hand, requires controlled industrial fermentation facilities and bioreactors which arecapital-intensive to build and operate​​.