Madeinplant is leading a revolution in antibody production with plant-based biofactories. With the support of the NEOTEC program from CDTI, Madeinplant is developing an innovative system to produce full-length antibodies in plants (Vegantibodies®), with applications in detection, research, and medical treatment.
The project aims at:
- Optimizing the production and purification process:
We are refining the conditions to produce full-length recombinant antibodies in plants, ensuring their quality, stability, and commercial viability. - Developing polyclonal antibody mixtures using dual viral vectors: We seek replacing animal immunization, eliminating ethical concerns and batch variability while improving efficiency.
- Creating the first pilot biofactory for plant-based antibody production: Our ultimate goal is to establish a large-scale production system, enabling the commercialization of these antibodies at highly competitive prices compared to conventional methods.
This project strengthens our position as a technology-driven company, where innovation and proprietary technology development are the core drivers of competitiveness.
🌿 Why molecular farming for antibody production?
Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are essential tools in multiple fields, from basic research to disease diagnosis and treatment. However, traditional production methods using animal-based systems come with significant limitations:
❌ High costs: Mammalian cell production requires complex and expensive infrastructure.
❌ Risk of contamination: Mammalian cells can be contaminated with viruses, prions, bacteria, fungi, or mycoplasma, posing safety risks.
❌ Environmental and ethical concerns: Large volumes of culture media are required, and in many cases, animals are used in production.
Our plant-based biofactory eliminates these risks because plants do not host human pathogens and do not require serum-enriched culture media. Additionally, plants enable large-scale production of biomolecules without the need for fermenters or expensive culture media and the production can be rapidly scaled according to demand. No reliance on animal-based systems, making it a more environmentally friendly and ethical solution.
