Scientists studying whether it's possible to grow, eat mRNA vaccines

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside are currently studying whether they can turn edible plants into mRNA vaccines.

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) are currently studying whether they can turn edible plants, such as lettuce and spinach, into mRNA vaccines people can grow themselves.

The research project has three goals: to show that DNA containing mRNA vaccines can be successfully integrated into plant cells; to demonstrate that plants can replicate enough mRNA to rival current injection methods; and to determine the correct dosage.

"Ideally, a single plant would produce enough mRNA to vaccinate a single person," Juan Pablo Giraldo, lead researcher and associate professor in UCR's Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, said in a news release.

"We are testing this approach with spinach and lettuce and have long-term goals of people growing it in their own gardens," he added. "Farmers could also eventually grow entire fields of it."