Peebles Lab
Colorado State University
Plant Biotechnology
Plants naturally produce many therapeutic compounds
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Pain- and fever-reducer Asprin was discovered in the bark of a Willow tree.
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Anti-malaria drug Quinine is naturally-produced by the Cinchona tree.
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Anti-cancer drug Vinblastine is made by the Madagascar Periwinkle plant.
Today, many therapeutic compounds are plant-based. Plants naturally produce only small quantities of these compounds. To treat the number of patients in need, an alternative production solution is needed.
Discovering plant genes responsible for therapeutic production is a challenge
Plants have large genomes and complicated gene-expression regulation. Many of the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of therapeutic compounds are unknown, making bioengineered synthesis impossible.
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Our lab works to discover the genes--and enzymes--responsible for synthesis of the anti-cancer drug vinblastine and vincristine in Madagascar Periwinkle. Recently, we analyzed the transcriptional response to over-expressing anthranilate synthase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the upstream terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway.
Metabolic engineering in plants promises to increase therapeutic supply to meet the growing patient demand
Engineering plant metabolism to produce more of a chemical of interest--in this case a therapeutic drug--can greatly increase the amount of therapeutic produced per plant. Currently, many drugs are produced using this approach in CHO cell cultures facilities. While the current state-of-the art, this technology is expensive susceptible to many contaminants. Our lab is working to develop metabolic engineering tools and technologies to produce therapeutics in plants or plant cell cultures.