Free Talk Live

Iowa State University researchers are putting flu vaccines into the genetic makeup of corn, which may someday allow pigs and humans to get a flu vaccination simply by eating corn or corn products.
"We're trying to figure out which genes from the swine flue virus to put into corn so those genes, when expressed, would produce protein," said Hank Harris, professor in animal science. "When a pig consumes the corn, it would work as a vaccine."
This project involves Mr. Harris and Brad Bosworth, an affiliate associate professor of animal science working with pigs, and Kan Wang, a professor in agronomy, who is developing the vaccine traits in the corn.
According to the researchers, the corn vaccine would also work in humans when they eat corn.