Saturday, Sep. 25, 2021
Are COVID-19 vaccines hidden in salad greens?
The short answer is "Not yet."
But the long answer is more like: If that ever comes to pass, such healthy-plus salad won't be hiding its extras under a bushel.
Research being done by scientists at the University of California, Riverside and elsewhere seeks to produce vaccine components using plants. They're looking at whether they can turn plants into "vaccine factories."
The research is supported by a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- UC Riverside Grow and eat your own vaccines?
- National Science Foundation Research Awards: Rapid Biomanufacturing of mRNA Vaccines in Plant Chloroplasts
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