Foxglove plants produce heart medicine; can science do it better?

(University at Buffalo) Wang's research investigates how foxgloves create medicinal compounds, with an eye toward improving the process. Specifically, her lab is investigating the chemical processes the plants use to create cardiac glycosides: what steps are taken, what genes are turned on, and what enzymes are deployed. Farming foxgloves for medicine is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news