Episode 24: Producing painkillers in poppy cells

Opiate alkaloids like morphine and codeine are traditionally made
from the opium poppy plant, which faces various challenges like
pests and climate issues in its cultivation. Janos Bindics is
looking into using poppy plant cells themselves to make opiates.
These cells naturally have all the genetic information needed to
produce morphine and other opiates. In this episode we talk about
the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, the
challenges and the longterm impact of Janos' research.