ARTICLE: Genetically modified plants could eliminate food poisoning
This Popular Science article explores how genetically modified plants could be used to produce antimicrobial proteins that can kill E. coli. Below is an excerpt.
(Originally posted in September 2015)
“This week, as contaminated cucumbers are being recalled across the United States due to a Salmonella outbreak that has killed two people and left more than 340 sick, scientists have announced a new strategy for combating foodborne disease. Their method involves genetically engineering plants to produce antimicrobial proteins, which can then be extracted and applied to contaminated meat and produce.
“In a study published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists engineered tobacco, leafy beets, spinach, chicory and lettuce to produce proteins called colicins, which can kill deadly strains ofE. coli. The team, led by scientists from two German biotech companies,Nomad Bioscience and Icon Genetics, found that plants such as tobacco can yield high levels of active colicins. Furthermore, they identified a mixture of two colicins that can efficiently kill all major disease-causing strains of E. coli.
“‘All of the food outbreaks that have been recorded in the last 15 years or so could have been controlled very well by a combination of just two colicins, applied at very low concentrations,’ said Yuri Gleba, CEO of Nomad Bioscience and one of the authors of the paper.”
