Production of biologicals by plant cell cultures.

The biologicals currently produced from plants are generally low molecular weight chemicals such as drug compounds rather than high molecular weight compounds such as proteins. The reasons for considering a fermentation technology based on plant cell cultures have been described. The state of technology of plant cell cultures is sufficiently advanced to suggest that the major questions remaining are economic rather than primarily technical. Limited analysis of the economics of commercial production of biologicals by plant cell cultures shows that a commercial process is certainly feasible.