Yoshikazu Yuki and other researchers at the University of Tokyo are bioengineering rice in a bid to turn it into an easy and low-cost storage and delivery medium for drugs to combat common infectious and contagious illnesses.

The rotavirus treatment was developed from highly stable antibodies found in South American llamas that are uniquely resistant to heat and acid in the animal’s stomach.

[T]he team immunized a llama against rotavirus infection, extracted and decoded its DNA and engineered a strain of Nihonbare rice with the same DNA blueprint. Adding a storage protein synthesis inhibitor into the genome, the team produced rice with a high yield of antibody content.

Both cholera vaccine and rotavirus antibody versions of the rice have been tested on laboratory mice. Clinical trials of the cholera vaccine are planned to start on a small group of people next year.

Via New York Times.