Google

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Tomato Vaccine


Genetically modified tomatoes will soon be used to combat HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV).
The primary objective is to make affordable vaccines that can be easily processed in the countries most affected by the killer viruses.
Researchers at the Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry in Russia used a soil bacterium to ‘shuttle’ a synthetic combination of HIV and HBV DNA fragments into tomato plants, which in turn manufacture proteins.
When they are eaten, these proteins help the body create antibodies against the viruses.

No comments: