Scientists are experimenting on a plant-based vaccine approach using lettuce and spinach to reduce the use of traditional mRNA vaccines.

Scientists at UC Riverside are working to produce edible plant-based mRNA vaccines.

Scientists at UC Riverside are working to produce edible plant-based mRNA vaccines.A vast poorer section of the global population has not received the COVID-19 vaccines creating vaccine inequity because of a global shortage of production capacity and raw materials.

The mRNA vaccines are some of the first COVID-19 vaccines that are in use. It is produced in the lab using genetically engineered mRNA to create an immune response in the human body. But the vaccines need cold storage to ensure they remain stable. To overcome this challenge, scientists led by Juan Pablo Giraldo at the University of California, Riverside, work towards plant-based mRNA vaccines that could be eaten and easily maintained at room temperatures.

The scientists want to produce the same mRNA levels in a single plant that could be grown by anyone and eaten as a salad. They are working to deliver DNA containing the mRNA vaccines into plant cells, mainly the chloroplast, where it can replicate. However, it is a long drawn process, but the first steps have been taken.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.