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From pond scum to pharmacy shelf

Protein-based therapies promise to treat everything from cancer to arthritis, but the bacteria and mammalian cells that usually produce proteins leave much to be desired. New research shows that green algae—and genetically tweaked yeast—can churn out proteins that are cheaper and better tailored for human use than those made by traditional systems. Amber Dance reports on these new recruits in the pharma factory.

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Dance, A. From pond scum to pharmacy shelf. Nat Med 16, 146–149 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0210-146

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