“Growing Adoption of Transient Expression Systems for Rapid Protein Production”
- Transient expression systems, particularly those using viral vectors such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens, are gaining traction for enabling fast and flexible protein production in plants
- These systems allow rapid development cycles—proteins can be produced in days rather than weeks or months, making them ideal for urgent pharmaceutical needs
- They are increasingly favored in response to emerging infectious diseases due to their quick scalability and efficient yield in plants such as Nicotiana benthamiana
- Biotech companies and academic institutions use transient expression platforms to develop vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and enzymes with reduced production costs
- For instance, Canada-based Medicago used transient expression technology in Nicotiana plants to rapidly develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate during the pandemic, demonstrating the method's commercial and public health potential
