University of Queensland scientists have found sunflower
proteins and their processing machinery are hijacked to make
rogue protein rings in a discovery that could open the door to
cheaper, plant-based drug manufacturing. Dr Joshua Mylne, who
led the research, has a personal connection with sunflowers -
his grandfather, Alan Lemon, introduced them to Australian
farms, creating a multimillion-dollar industry. Now, Dr Mylne
hopes his research has uncovered another use for these plants
through the manufacture of cheap therapeutic drugs. Dr Mylne and
Professor David Craik from UQ's Institute for Molecular
Bioscience unpicked the way sunflower seeds assemble protein
rings, one of which has previously demonstrated potential as a
drug for cancer. The study, published overnight in the
international journal Nature Chemical Biology, showed that the
machinery used to process and mature otherwise dull seed storage
proteins is commandeered by a protein ring, SFTI, for its own
use. Dr Mylne and Professor Craik used the mod