Green Algae in the Drug Industry?

As we reflect on how important it is that our drugs and vaccines are grown in culture cells of yeast and mammalian cells we also realize how expensive it is. Even before production begins of cells to make medicine researches must invest over $600 million to build a facility that can make them. The facilities have to be sterile and the mammalian cell cultures are difficult to make and maintain. So before a drug is even tested huge amount of money is already used up. In the article, Drug Production Gets Aquatic by Lauren Gravitz, the author discusses how using green algae, more specifically, Clamydomonas reinhardtii, can be used to make the industry more cost effective.

For green algae to grow and maintain itself all it needs is light and carbon dioxide from the air. Unlike mammalian cell cultures which needs expensive food for maintaining itself. The green algae is also better at folding the proteins it creates for medicine. Whereas the mammalian culture cells are not as effective in doing requiring an additional process. It was quoted that the cost of one gram of Tysabri, a drug for multiple sclerosis, is about $150, whereas at the rate the green algae makes it, it is approximately a nickel. The only drawback to algae is that it does not add a sugar to the end of the protein which helps the absorption of it into the body. This sugar is not always needed and if it is needed the green algae can be manipulated into doing so, like yeast was. This is a very valuable area of research that can prove to lower prices of drugs for everyone.