Molecular farming is a biotechnological approach that includes the
genetic adjustment of agricultural products to create proteins and
chemicals for profitable and pharmaceutical purposes. Plant molecular
farming describes the manufacture of recombinant proteins and other
biologically active product in plants. This approach depends on a
genetic transformation of plants that can be accomplished by the methods
of stable gene transfer, such as gene transfer to nuclei and
chloroplasts, and unstable transfer methods like viral vectors. The
requirement for recombinant proteins in terms of quality, quantity, and
diversity is increasing exponentially This demand is traditionally met
by recombinant protein construction technologies and the engineering of
orthodox expression systems based on bacteria or mammalian cell
cultures. However, majority of developing countries cannot afford the
high costs of medicine derived from such existing methods. Hence, we
need to produce not only the new drugs but also the cheaper versions of
those already present in the market. Plant molecular farming is
considered as a cost-effective technology that has grown and advanced
tremendously over the past two decades.
This book summarizes the advances and challenges of plant molecular
farming for all those who are working on or have an interest in this
rapidly emerging area of research.