A project SmartCell turns plant cells into medical factories
Date: 29.9.2008
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland will coordinate the large **EU research project** called **SmartCell**. The four-year project focuses on developing **methods for production** of valuable **pharmaceutical compounds** using plant cells as a production host in an effective and controlled manner.
The methods based on **plant biotechnology** are an alternative to chemical synthesis. By controlling the cell metabolism of a **'green factory'**, i.e. a living plant cell, it is possible to affect the production of desired high-value compounds. This kind of metabolic engineering also stimulates the cells towards producing completely new compounds.
"VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland":[ http://www.vtt.fi/uutta/2008/19092008_smartcell.jsp]
