Opioids Genetically engineering Broad-leaved Helleborine (E. Helleborine)?

[User145667]

A long time ago I found out that apparently there is this orchid called the "Broad-leaved Helleborine" who's nectar contains trace amounts of naturally occurring Oxycodone. Would it be possible to genetically engineer it to produce far more than trace amounts of oxy? It would be so cools to drink Oxy Nectar lol.

It would also be cool if they could genetically alter yeast to produce oxy through this same mechanism, much like they are trying to do with yeast producing Morphine from adding Opium Poppy genetic instructions into the yeast. Actually the yeast thing, although I don't have understand it at all, seems like the possibilities could wind up being practically endless, as long as you are using plant/fungus based instructions. Meaning tons of natural drugs produced easily and cheaply, such as Cocaine, Nicotine, Morphine, Codeine, 7-HOM/Mitragynine, THC, DMT, Ephedrine, Mescaline, Psilocybin, Ibogaine, Tramadol (from that African shrub that apparently contains it), Cathinone, GHB (from Red Wine), etc.

Also, while we're on the subject, why aren't they genetically modifying Hemp flower to produce high levels of Delta 8, Delta 10, THC-O, THC-A, HHC, PHC, etc.? Is this at all even possible? Could you even get weed to grow unrelated substances like DMT or Morphine? I feel like this is a really cool discussion we should be having. The future of drugs are natural drugs and precursors being made from synthetically tweaked natural sources, which is kind of ironic and trippy when you think about it. Wouldn't it be crazy to drink a morphinated beer? Or smoke a joint that is naturally produced Changa (meaning that the bud produces DMT as well as a smokeable MOAI, along with its normal cannabinoids)? Thanks all.

 

[Skorpio]

People generally use yeast to produce natural products due to the ease of culturing large amounts. Plants tend to grow pretty slow and route a lot of energy towards other pathways, which you would need to engineer away from.

Also I seriously doubt that that african plant has tramadol in it. There are mass spec studies showing plants with valium and prozac in them. They are not produced by the plants, but being introduced in trace amounts from water contamination. I'd pretty much only believe it has tramadol if there was a bioassay, or analysis of the metabolism where intermediates of tramadol are produced.

 

[negrogesic]

Yeah these pop up every once in a while and can't be replicated, or are only present in certain samples. Almost invariably they are examples of environmental contamination (tramadol is used in livestock and is an extremely popular drug of abuse in africa).

 

[SpiralusSancti]

A long time ago I found out that apparently there is this orchid called the "Broad-leaved Helleborine" who's nectar contains trace amounts of naturally occurring Oxycodone. Would it be possible to genetically engineer it to produce far more than trace amounts of oxy? It would be so cools to drink Oxy Nectar lol.

It would also be cool if they could genetically alter yeast to produce oxy through this same mechanism, much like they are trying to do with yeast producing Morphine from adding Opium Poppy genetic instructions into the yeast. Actually the yeast thing, although I don't have understand it at all, seems like the possibilities could wind up being practically endless, as long as you are using plant/fungus based instructions. Meaning tons of natural drugs produced easily and cheaply, such as Cocaine, Nicotine, Morphine, Codeine, 7-HOM/Mitragynine, THC, DMT, Ephedrine, Mescaline, Psilocybin, Ibogaine, Tramadol (from that African shrub that apparently contains it), Cathinone, GHB (from Red Wine), etc.

Also, while we're on the subject, why aren't they genetically modifying Hemp flower to produce high levels of Delta 8, Delta 10, THC-O, THC-A, HHC, PHC, etc.? Is this at all even possible? Could you even get weed to grow unrelated substances like DMT or Morphine? I feel like this is a really cool discussion we should be having. The future of drugs are natural drugs and precursors being made from synthetically tweaked natural sources, which is kind of ironic and trippy when you think about it. Wouldn't it be crazy to drink a morphinated beer? Or smoke a joint that is naturally produced Changa (meaning that the bud produces DMT as well as a smokeable MOAI, along with its normal cannabinoids)? Thanks all.

Well it’s possible you could keep selecting plants until you get one with quite a bit oxy, how many generations it would take, who knows..

As for weed, I was told by a reliable source there’s already quite a bit GMO stuff and have no reason to not believe it considering what all become available at speed of light since legal industry.

As for yeast, mostly yeast is modified to metabolize something into something more useful as opposed to producing end product.