Cures On the Cob

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At Epicyte's spotless laboratory, Hiatt is taking no chances. Tiny tobacco leaves injected with herpes-antibody genes fill the incubators — a backup, he says, in case corn is outlawed. And the company is branching out, developing plant-grown antibodies to fight respiratory syncytial virus, treat Alzheimer's, battle weaponized Ebola and even attack sperm — a kind of biopharm birth control.

By the end of the decade, biopharmaceuticals are projected to grow into a $20 billion industry. But how many of the new drugs will be manufactured in living plant-factories remains uncertain. "There has been an emotional response to the technology," says Hiatt. "But if we can bring down the cost of treating these diseases, the drawbacks compared with the benefits will be minuscule."