Created yeast that synthesizes morphine from glucose

An ordinary home brewery can be adapted for morphine brewing.

Every year, thousands of participants from around the world take part in a competition in synthetic biology organized by the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM).

In November last year, a dubious story surfaced at the contest, giving rise to a discussion about security risks. FBI Special Agent Edward You presented a report on the use of genetically modified yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for the production of morphine from glucose. He did not provide details on how to specifically make such a fungus and how to use it, but to date, several scientific papers have been published where the whole process is explained in detail. The hypothetical scenario of Edward Yu came true.

Experts fear that the new discovery will lead to an increase in the production of morphine around the world, and this is a very dangerous drug. At the same time, it is used in medicine as an anesthetic.

All stages of the transformation of glucose into morphine are shown in the illustration (clickable). In principle, anyone with yeast and basic skills in the fermentation process is able to organize the production of morphine-containing products on home equipment, such as the brewery in the first photo.





Apparently, synthetic morphine can be even cheaper than natural (the cost of an anesthetic in concentrate is now $ 300-500 per kilogram). Currently, morphine is made from poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum), and the new method promises a cheaper and more effective method. If the calculations of scientists are fair, then this will lead to a significant increase in the spread of opiates.

Synthetic morphine is just the first swallow. Experts say that further on there will certainly come new methods for the synthesis of other hazardous substances.

The community of researchers in the field of synthetic biology has faced a dilemma: how to conduct new research, but not harm humanity by inventing new GMOs that could potentially be used for malicious purposes.

Today, more than 16 million people around the world take opiates illegally, so that new synthesis methods can be used by criminal syndicates to work with this audience.