While the 20th century was a time of significant scientific advancement, perhaps the greatest gains were made in the field of biology. Gaining complete understanding of the mechanisms that control how traits are passed from one generation to the next has had tremendous benefits in detecting diseases, predicting disorders, and developing ways to resist and combat these conditions.

One of the most impressive applications of genetic engineering is now the development of so-called “pharma crops”, plants modified at a genetic level to produce chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry.  Such crops allow antibodies, hormones, proteins and other biological materials to produced on a massive scale, requiring only water, nutrient-rich soil and carbon dioxide.  

However, considerable concern has been raised over the potential consequences of pharma crops interbreeding with traditional food stock plants. Due to centuries of study and controlled breeding, food crops are some of the most heavily studied and best understood plants in the world. And many plants traditionally bred for human consumption, such as tobacco, have turned out to be relatively easy to manipulate. But I think it’s safe to say no one wants to sit down to dinner with an ear of corn that’s been bred to produce industrial quantities of hormone inhibitors.

So what’s the solution? Obviously, genetically engineered drug crops offer tremendous benefits to humanity, but only if they are treated correctly. Current USDA regulations allow pharma crops to be grown outdoors, which seems like an accident waiting to happen. Producing pharma crops in greenhouses tremendously decreases the risk of accidental contamination of wild and agricultural plan populations, as well as providing consistent, controlled environments, which can increase yield.  And compared with the massive costs of research and development, it’s extremely cost effective.

Additionally, the use of non-food-stock crops offers tremendous advantages over traditional pharma crops. While they may lack the massive body of research, some plants, such as Duckweed, a type of water-borne lentil, reproduce very rapidly and without seeds or pollen, all but eliminating the chances of accidental contamination, while allowing pharmacological products to be produced more quickly due to the plant’s impressive growth rate. 

Furthermore, some biotech companies have begun creating pharmaceuticals from isolated cells, rather than complete organisms. This approach further reduces growing costs in some circumstances, and in the case of plant or animal cells grown in solution, removes the risk of contamination by eliminating the production of gametes entirely. 

Even since the dawn of genetically engineered crops, farmers, ecologists and concerned citizens alike have protested aggressively against the spread of so-called “frankenfoods”. While it’s unlikely any level of security will soothe the most vehement activists, wider public acceptance of pharma crops will allow humankind to experience their full benefits.

Photo by Iowa Spirit Walker