Restricted Research - Award List, Note/Discussion Page
Fiscal Year: 2023
90 University of North Texas (141978)
Principal Investigator: Skellam,Elizabeth Julia
Total Amount of Contract, Award, or Gift (Annual before 2011): $ 434,563
Exceeds $250,000 (Is it flagged?): Yes
Start and End Dates: 6/15/22 - 12/31/25
Restricted Research: YES
Academic Discipline: Chemistry
Department, Center, School, or Institute: College of Science
Title of Contract, Award, or Gift: Greenhouse-based Production of Fungal-Derived Medicines
Name of Granting or Contracting Agency/Entity:
W.M. Keck Foundation
CFDA:
Program Title: none
Note:
Conventional manufacturing of high-value pharmaceuticals relies on specialized industrial facilities that are energy and equipment-intensive and affect the environment irreversibly. For example, deep vat fermentation of fungal-derived medicines produces large amounts of pharmaceuticals in a short time but also generates high levels of chemical waste. Conversely, photosynthesis-driven pharmaceutical production in plants requires minimal inputs (sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and mineral nutrients) that are easily scalable. We propose to reconstitute the complete fungal metabolic pathways for the antibiotic, penicillin, and the immunosuppressive agent, mycophenolic acid, within a plant host (Nicotiana benthamiana) in standard glasshouse conditions. The project includes parallel evaluation of the economic feasibility for this new manufacturing process using a cost-benefit analysis comparing deep vat fermentation-based technology to plant biotechnology-based production. This first-of-its-kind study will establish a new concept for producing valuable fungal products and may ultimately lead to medicines that can be delivered in plant seeds, eliminating downstream processing.
Discussion: No discussion notes