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Scientists use YEAST to brew THC: Chemical usually found in cannabis could lead to better HIV and cancer drugs

Hyasynth Bio has refined a genetically engineered yeast that produces THC
THC is the primary psychoactive chemical found in cannabis plants
Experts now hope to develop a more efficient method for synthesising yeast for drug research

Published: 22:38 EST, 14 September 2015 | Updated: 02:33 EST, 15 September 2015

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An active ingredient typically found in cannabis has been genetically engineered in the lab for the first time.

Scientists in Germany have created a strain of yeast that makes the plant's primary psychoactive chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.

They believe the breakthrough will lead to more effective and easier-to-manufacture cancer and HIV drugs and now hope to perfect the technique.

A form of yeast (left) has been genetically engineered to produce various cannabinoids that are typically found in cannabis plants (right). THC- and cannabidiol-producing yeast could prove integral to developing more clinical applications for the compound

Yeast is a tiny bacteria and is used to make bread rise and produce in beer.

Researchers at the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany and firm Hyasynth Bio have now found a way to genetically engineer a strain of this bacteria to produce THC.

The yeast needs to be placed in just the right conditions in order for them to make THC - and even then, the quantity is exceptionally small.

THE BENEFITS OF THC

There's already evidence to suggest certain compounds in marijuana might be helpful for certain medical conditions.

For example, cannabidivarin (one of those many compounds) has been shown to help control seizures when tested in animals.

Scientists said the real challenge is to devise a method that works better than cannabis plants themselves.

Progress was made recently when the scientists were able to take advantage of a recent decoding of which genes marijuana uses to make THC and other compounds.

They were then able to engineer those genes into yeast.

Synthetic THC already exists in pill form and is sold under brand names such as Cesamet.

It's often used to treat nausea associated with HIV or cancer therapies, but this new process could offer a less expensive, easier way to create this cannabis component from scratch.

Ordinarily, the chemicals are stripped from the plants themselves, but using yeast could greatly reduce the cost of their production compared to conventional chemical synthesis.

Although a significant breakthrough, this still means that cannabis plants are by far the best producer of the psychoactive molecule.

'This is something that could literally change the lives of millions of people,' Kevin Chen, chief executive of Hyasynth Bio told The Times.

'People keep asking about it,' a researcher added, 'but there's bigger potential there than just making a beer.

The newly engineered yeast could not only enable scientists produce THC and cannabidiol more easily, but also help them understand how the compounds work.

There's already evidence to suggest certain compounds in marijuana might be helpful for certain medical conditions.

For example, cannabidivarin (one of those many compounds) has been shown to help control seizures when tested in animals.

Scientists said the real challenge is to devise a method that works better than cannabis plants themselves.

The experts have been working on this process for a while.

Progress was made recently when the scientists were able to take advantage of a recent decoding of which genes marijuana uses to make THC and other compounds.

They were then able to engineer those genes into yeast.

Synthetic THC already exists in pill form and is sold under brand names such as Cesamet.

Ordinarily, the chemicals are stripped from the plants themselves, but using yeast could greatly reduce the cost of their production compared to conventional chemical synthesis. The pharmaceutical industry is especially eager to develop a more efficient method for synthesising yeast for drug research

Synthetic THC already exists in pill form and is sold under brand names such as Cesamet. It's often used to treat nausea associated with HIV or cancer therapies (illustrated), but this new process could offer a less expensive, easier way to create this cannabis component from scratch

It's often used to treat nausea associated with HIV or cancer therapies, but this new process could offer a less expensive, easier way to create this cannabis component from scratch,

Ordinarily, the chemicals are stripped from the plants themselves, but using yeast could greatly reduce the cost of their production compared to conventional chemical synthesis.

Japanese experimenters were among the first to extract the necessary THC enzymes from yeast nearly a decade ago, and since then, less expensive and quicker DNA technology has helped scientists across the board find the rest of the genes needed to make THC.

Currently, only a small amount of THC can be generated from the yeast.