GM bananas help prevent 'mystery swine disease'  

台研发转基因香蕉 猪吃了可预防“神秘猪病”

据台湾《中国时报》报道，喂猪吃香蕉，有些怪；但吃了就不会生病，倒是很神奇。台湾大学研究团队把猪生殖与呼吸综合症(PRRSV)病毒基因接种到香蕉细胞，成功研发出基改香蕉（转基因香蕉），直接当成口服疫苗，猪吃了可以预防仔猪感染俗称神秘猪病或蓝耳病的PRRSV。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- A research team in Taiwan has developed a type of transgenic banana, which is used as a vaccine to reduce the risk of pigs contracting a serious disease, according to the Taiwan-based China Times.

Huang Pung-ling, a leading professor on the team from National Taiwan University, said they transplanted the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) into a banana plant's chromosomes and used the plant as a bioreactor to produce an oral vaccine. The stems and leaves are also effective against the virus, he added.

The syndrome, also called blue-ear pig disease or mystery swine disease, can cause serious damage to the swine breeding industry, he said.

Huang said the technology can be applied to cows and sheep to prevent viral diseases, and he expected that in less than 10 years, humans can use it against epidemic diseases.

Patents have already been secured in Taiwan, the mainland and the US, he said, adding that the vaccine can create as much as NT$5 billion ($167 million) in value on the mainland, considering the scale of its breeding industry.

The team's research result was published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.