Cannabis Company Helps Develop COVID-19 Vaccine
Saskatchewan’s Zyus Could Help Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Production – LPC
Licensed producer Zyus Life Sciences in Saskatoon is helping develop a COVID-19 vaccine, but not in the way you might think. The company specializes in plant science, manipulating the way a plant functions. The science is complex, but essentially Zyus wants to find a faster way to produce the active protein compounds in a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Plants tend to be really succinct photocopiers of compounds,” said Zyus CEO Brent Zettl. “Once you teach it to do something, it’ll do it repeatedly over and over again.”
Zyus is working in collaboration with Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac). Dr. Paul Hodgson, a senior manager with VIDO-InterVac, said the research is in very early stages. But, it looks promising.
“The more valuable thing is working with a plant expression company like Zyus to see whether their methods for expressing protein might be suitable for COVID-19,” Dr. Hodgson said. He added it might help with a second wave of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases.
Usually, the active proteins in vaccines are found in bacteria or animals. Plant-based proteins have many advantages. They don’t have to be refrigerated, they are less likely to contain pathogens, and they are easier to expand and store. If it works, that would mean faster, safer COVID-19 vaccine production.
The announcement follows other Canadian companies looking for a COVID-19 vaccine. Research at the University of Lethbridge is looking for a COVID-19 cannabis treatment. A Toronto-based retailer is also testing a COVID-19 cannabis medicine.
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