Tejal Somvanshi
University of Ottawa undergraduates have created a sustainable way to produce weight loss drugs using plants, potentially addressing global shortages and high costs.
A team of undergraduate researchers at the University of Ottawa has developed an innovative platform called “Phytogene” that could transform how we produce vital medications. The project uses plants to grow GLP-1 receptor agonists—the same class of drugs found in popular weight loss treatments like Ozempic.
Led by fourth-year biotechnology and biomedical science students Victor Boddy and Teagan Thomas, the team has engineered tobacco relative plants (Nicotiana benthamiana) to produce medications through a process known as “biopharming.”
“Inspired by the recent Ozempic shortage, we built a proof-of-concept model system that expresses functional GLP-1 agonists in plants,” says Boddy. “We aim to create a future where people can reliably grow their own treatments at home, free from concerns about insurance, cost, or availability.”
The project, which began in late 2023, has already gained international recognition. The team recently won a gold medal at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris, competing against over 430 teams worldwide. Their work placed them among the top five teams in the biomanufacturing category.
How Phytogene Works
The biomanufacturing process follows three core steps: cloning, plant expression, and purification. First, DNA plasmids encoding the target protein are inserted into Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a bacterium that transfers the genetic material to the plants. The plants then produce the desired medication, which can be extracted and purified.
Using advanced tools like SOLIDWORKS, the team has also designed a scalable agroinfiltration vacuum chamber, which could enable larger-scale pharmaceutical production in plants.
On their website, the students explain that the plant essentially acts as a copy machine for whatever genetic sequence they introduce. “With our ‘plug-and-play’ design, we can incorporate any peptide sequence into the plant genome,” they note. “The plant’s molecular machinery then transcribes and translates our peptide in impressive quantities.
Similar Posts
Addressing Global Health Challenges
The innovation comes at a critical time. Medications like Ozempic have faced global shortages due to surging demand. According to a KFF poll released last year, about 12 percent of Americans have taken some form of GLP-1 drug. These medications are often expensive and not always covered by insurance.
Traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing also has significant environmental impacts, producing greenhouse gas emissions and chemical waste. The plant-based approach could offer a more sustainable alternative.
Current Status and Future Plans
While showing great promise, the Phytogene platform is still in the testing phase. “The extract has not been tested on humans,” Boddy clarifies. The team is currently working to optimize their protocols.
“We are analyzing blood glucose and insulin levels to assess response,” adds Thomas. “We also plan to conduct bioactivity assays to test the drug’s effectiveness on human cells.”
Beyond GLP-1 drugs, the team is also testing the expression of other medications, including tirzepatide and retatrutide, which are also used for diabetes and weight management.
The researchers have published an open-source biopharming toolkit on the iGEM Parts Registry, allowing other scientists to build upon their work. This toolkit includes genetic tools for rapidly screening protein production in plants.
The project involved 23 undergraduate students from various faculties, with guidance from Adam Damry, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, and Allyson Maclean, Associate Professor of Biology.
“This project started as a response to medication shortages, but it has grown into something much larger,” says Thomas. “We believe that plant-based biomanufacturing can revolutionize healthcare, making treatments more accessible to people everywhere.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Phytogene and how does it work? ➕
Phytogene is a biomanufacturing platform developed by University of Ottawa students that uses tobacco relative plants (Nicotiana benthamiana) to produce medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists (the class that includes Ozempic). The process involves inserting DNA encoding for these medications into plants, which then produce the drugs naturally. This approach, called “biopharming,” could offer a more affordable and sustainable alternative to traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Can I really grow Ozempic at home with this technology? ➕
Not yet. While the technology shows promise, it’s still in the testing phase. The plant-derived compounds haven’t been tested on humans, and the team is currently analyzing blood glucose and insulin responses. The long-term vision is to create a system where people could potentially grow their own medications at home, but this would require further development, testing, and regulatory approval.
Are plant-grown medications safe and effective? ➕
Safety and efficacy are still being established. The Phytogene team is currently conducting bioactivity assays to test the effectiveness of plant-produced medications on human cells. They’re also measuring blood glucose and insulin levels to assess the response. Plant-based pharmaceuticals would need to undergo rigorous clinical trials and receive regulatory approval before being considered safe for human use.
How does this address the Ozempic shortage problem? ➕
The current Ozempic shortage stems from limited production capacity and surging demand. Phytogene aims to create a more accessible and decentralized production method that could potentially supplement commercial manufacturing. By allowing more distributed production, the technology could help reduce dependency on a single supply chain and make these medications available to more people.
What environmental benefits does plant-based medication production offer? ➕
Traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing produces significant greenhouse gas emissions and chemical waste. Plant-based production could reduce this environmental impact by using natural biological processes instead of resource-intensive chemical synthesis. Plants also capture carbon dioxide during growth, potentially making the overall production process more environmentally sustainable.
When might this technology be available to the public? ➕
There’s no definite timeline for public availability. The technology is still in early development and testing stages. Before any home-grown medications could become reality, the process would need to complete human trials, receive regulatory approval, and be developed into a consumer-friendly system. The team is currently working with scientific advisors and exploring commercial viability, but widespread implementation is likely years away.
