Bioengineered Yeast turns Sugar into Opiates

[beero1000]

http://www.theguardian.com/science/...ntists-yeast-that-can-make-sugar-into-opiates

Home-brewed heroin could become a reality, scientists have warned, following the creation of yeast strains designed to convert sugar into opiates.

The advance marks the first time that scientists have artificially reproduced the entire chemical pathway that takes place in poppy plants to produce morphine in the wild.


Scientists warned that the findings could pave the way for opium poppy farms being replaced by local morphine “breweries” and called for urgent regulation of the technology. In theory, opium brewing would be no more difficult to master than DIY beer kits, raising the possibility of people setting up Breaking Bad-style drug laboratories in their own homes.


Tania Bubela, a public health professor at the university of Alberta and co-author of a commentary on the research in the journal Nature, said: “In principle, anyone with access to the yeast strain and basic skills in fermentation could grow morphine-producing yeast using a home-brew kit for beer making.”

So much for the war on drugs...

 

[skepticalbip]

If they did the same for cocaine and THC then the drug cartels would collapse overnight.

 

[Sarpedon]

So much for the war on drugs...

You mean "So much for home brewing."

 

[TV and credit cards]

We need billions of dollars to stop this! How can the defense industry help?

 

[tantric]

y'all, read this carefully. the genes have been found for the entire biological pathway - they have NOT been put into yeast and there's no promise that will work. when genes from a pansy for the color blue were put in a rose, it didn't work, because they have to be in a specific pH and roses don't have it.

 

[NobleSavage]

I'm gonna go register some domain names... be back later.