Plants and Animal Bioreactors: Insights into Bioactive Molecules for Therapeutic Innovation
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025
Special Issue Editors
Interests: anticancer agent; cell metabolism; sulforaphane; nutrients; drug development and discovery; nanotechnology; cell death; cancer cell biology; drug–drug Interactions; breast cancer; chemoprevention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: abscission zone; crops; organ abscission; plant physiology; stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The objective of this Special Issue is to present the latest advancements in research harnessing the plant and animal bioreactors for the production of bioactive molecules that contribute to public health and sustainability, with applications in pharmaceuticals and medicine, as well as in the agriculture and food industries. This seemingly unconventional unification of bioreactors highlights the synergy and interconnectedness of these two biological kingdoms. Since the dawn of human existence, plants and animals have been essential for human survival and well-being. Nowadays, we have harnessed and advanced the capabilities of living organisms, utilizing them as natural bioreactors to synthesize a diverse range of bioactive compounds.
Plants are capable of producing secondary metabolites, proteins, or phytohormones with significant pharmaceutical, agricultural, and nutritional value. Animal bioreactors, which may include transgenic organisms, tissue culture methods, or genetically modified cell lines, are employed to synthesize essential molecules such as hormones, antibodies, therapeutic proteins, and vaccines critical for treating a broad spectrum of diseases.
The significant advantage of plant bioreactors lies in their cost-effectiveness and sustainability, providing an eco-friendly and renewable source of bioactive compounds. Conversely, though more complex, animal bioreactors enable the production of large quantities of proteins with critical post-translational modifications, making them vital for therapeutic and biotechnological applications. The ongoing exploration of these organisms for medical and technological use, combined with advancements in genetic engineering and genome editing technologies, holds promise for unlocking new opportunities to produce high-value innovative compounds. These developments will drive the creation of sustainable solutions to address global challenges in healthcare, agriculture, and biotechnology. Our goal is to demonstrate the groundbreaking potential of the biotechnological use of plant and animal cells to create breakthrough solutions that address global challenges and improve human prosperity.
Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Wiktorska
Dr. Agata Kućko
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- plant bioreactors
- animal bioreactors
- bioproduction
- plant metabolites
- plant hormones
- biologics
- biosimilars
- drug research and development
- nutraceuticals
- plant engineering
- pharmaceutical biotechnology
- agricultural biotechnology
- bioactive molecules
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