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Step 1: Genetic Engineering of the Plant Host

The first step is to introduce the therapeutic gene—the
DNA sequence that encodes the desired protein—into the
plant.

There are multiple expression strategies, each tailored to
the plant species and the therapeutic goal:

• Chloroplast transformation – In leafy greens like
Lactuca sativa (lettuce), the gene is inserted into the
chloroplast genome. This compartment is highly

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