Plant-made vaccine for exotic Newcastle disease approved

This is a milestone achievement by Dow AgroSciences as this is the world�s first regulatory approval for a plant-made vaccine.

Dow scientists inserted genetic material from the exotic Newcastle virus into tobacco cells to produce a protein that provokes an immune response in chickens to the disease.

Dow teased out the vaccine from tobacco plant cells confined to the factory rather than in whole plants grown outdoors. That may help calm fears among those who worry food crops spliced with animal DNA to produce drugs will accidentally mix with conventionally grown crops, tainting the food supply.

Dow has no immediate plans to sell the vaccine.