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can cost upwards of half a billion dollars to construct. CHO
cells are notoriously fragile: they require precise pH,
temperature, oxygen levels, and nutrient feeds. Even minor
shifts in glycosylation or protein folding can trigger batch
failures or require costly revalidation.
By contrast, plant-made biologics are grown in leaves, not
tanks. The infrastructure is modular, agricultural, and
scalable. Instead of fermenters and spargers, you have racks
of hydroponic trays. Instead of cell lines that must be
cryopreserved and passaged, you have seeds that can be
stored at room temperature and germinated on demand. The
protein is expressed within the plant’s own tissues—
shielded by cell walls, stabilized by natural sugars, and
protected from degradation without the need for expensive
downstream purification.
It’s not just different—it’s simpler. And that simplicity is
power.
Cold-Chain Not Required
Biologics are notoriously sensitive. They denature if
frozen. They degrade if warmed. From manufacturing to
storage to transport to pharmacy to patient, every step must
maintain the cold chain. That means refrigerated trucks,
insulated shipping, constant temperature monitoring, and
significant waste when excursions occur. For injectable
biologics, this is an accepted cost of doing business.
Edible biologics bypass that entirely. Once harvested, the
plant material can be freeze-dried—a process that removes
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