ProdiGene (College Station, TX) announced in February that its patented edible vaccine confers protection against the common transmissible gastrointestinal virus in pigs. The vaccine, produced from maize genetically modified to express antigens of the virus, is the first of its kind to demonstrate efficacy against a viral pathogen in animal trials and is expected to be commercially available for pigs in two to three years after going through the same US Department of Agriculture approval processes as traditional vaccines. Demand in agribusiness is expected to be high, says Joe Jilka, vice president of product development at ProdiGene. “Because of the perceived cost savings and labor savings, by having it in a pellet or ground meal, it will be a system that is widely adopted.” The transgenic maize would be grown under rigorously controlled conditions and only used for the express purpose of vaccine production,” says Jilka.