Study Claims It Is Possible To Brew Morphine (Photo : REUTERS/PARWIZ)
In a bid to develop a less addictive and safer painkiller, researchers in the United States have discovered a means of brewing morphine at home through the use of sugar.
The study conducted by a team comprising of scientists from the Universities of Berkeley, Concordia and Calgary, revealed that a particular yeast strain held the key that can allow the fermentation of opiod when glucose is introduced.
Critiques of the researchers' findings told Sky News that they feared the revelations would be of interest to drug traders as appose to those in the medical field.
However, experts believe any unwanted alarm and threat can be averted if the genetically modified strains of yeast as well as the DNA of the produce are guarded preventing illegal cartels from their access.
A Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman told the news agency in the wake of self brewed morphine claims no threat was possible as the modified strains of yeast had not been made available yet.
The research study findings revealed by the team were recently published in the Nature Chemical Biology, publication.
A statement from the published findings in Nature according to the BBC claimed that anyone in principal with the modified strain of yeast and with knowledge of basic fermentation processes can develop morphine producing yeast with a simple home beer brewing kit.
Professor Paul Freemont, Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation at Imperial College London, told the British website that technically developing such yeast strains was complex, but with evolving trends in technology it can be simplified in the future.
Researchers claimed that once the modified strains of yeast were developed, markers would be introduced to the DNA, which would in turn allow authorities to trace the origins of the morphine
Morphine is a vital painkiller used in many hospitals globally however, what has restricted the drug's use has been the poppy harvest required for production.
