Skip to main content

YEAST Now used to make Morphine

Biologists have successfully introduced bacterial and
poppy plant genes into yeast to manufacture morphine. The research is important because opiates are medically essential. However, current production
via opium poppy leads to supply inefficiencies.

A few years ago biologsts demonstrated that a bio- engineered yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) could produce benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA)
metabolites, including the alkaloids from which morphine is derived. S. cerevisiae is more commonly used as baker's yeast.

In a further development, Stanford University's Christina Smolke and her colleagues have discovered that S. cerevisiae engineering to express additional enzymes can be coaxed to synthesize naturally occurring opiates and semisynthetic opioids from BIA precursor molecules. The results represent a significant step toward engineered yeast–based biomanufacturing of morphine.

With the study, yeast strains were engineered to express specific genes from bacteria. This allowed the yeast to convert convert thebaine to codeine,
morphine, hydromorphone, hydrocodone and oxycodone; thereby creating medically important opiates. The researcher's optimized approach was capable of yielding up to 131 miligram of opioid products per liter.

Discussing the research, biochemist Neil Bruce from
the University of York, U.K., told The Scientist: "The
authors have demonstrated that it is possible to develop a technology platform in yeast that allows the transformation of [the opiate alkaloid] thebaine
to a variety of opiate drugs by mixing and matching microbial and plant enzymes. This is [an] elegant piece of synthetic biology."

The new development has been published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. The research is
titled "A microbial biomanufacturing platform for
natural and semisynthetic opioids".

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meet Africa's youngest mum

A Kenyan young girl named Gladys Chelagat, became the youngest mother in Africa as, she gave birth at age 10. Gladys gave birth to her baby weighing 2.8kg at Kericho District Hospital in Kenya, though with the aid of a cesarean section (CS) as she was too young to have a normal delivery.‎ Doctors said that it's been close to 3 years since she gave birth and the circumstances behind this story is yet  to be ascertained. The man responsible for her pregnancy is still unknown till date. ‎ The picture of the young girl holding her baby in her arms with her innocent look is still circulating on social media with a lot of controversial opinions. While some argued that its a fallacy story, others just hope and pray she and her baby gets enough support to grow and be healthy. Which ever way the story is we pray the mother and the baby are doing fine.

BREAKING: Former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi is dead

The Former Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, is dead accoring to a tweet on the Nigeria Football Federation's official twitter handle @thenff ‎Emmanuel Ado a brother to the late coach says the 54-year-old died of Cardiac arrest in the early hours of Wednesday, June 8.‎ ‎ The former international football player and coach, lost his wife, Kate, last year after a prolonged battle with cancer. ‎Keshi has coached the national teams of Togo and Mali, qualifying the former to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. ‎In his last job with Nigeria, he won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and reached the Round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.‎‎‎‎

South Korea becomes first East Asian Country to Legalize Medical Marijuana

South Korea has become the first east Asian country to legalise medical cannabis in a surprising move to expand the treatment options for patients with epilepsy and other rare diseases in the conservative country. The country’s national assembly approved amending the Act on the Management of Narcotic Drugs on Friday to allow non-hallucinogenic doses of medical marijuana. Still, using weed even for medical purpose will be strictly controlled with patients required to apply to the Korea Orphan Drug Centre, a government body facilitating patient access to rare medicines, after receiving a doctor’s prescription. Approval will be granted on a case-by-case basis, according to the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. South Korea has some of the toughest rules on cannabis consumption with citizens prosecuted for using weed in other countries where recreational marijuana is legalised. Under the country’s anti-drug laws, smoking and trading marijuana remains illegal with th...