Instant Genius Why the new era of life-saving drugs starts with plants
Dec 15, 2025
Professor Anne Osbourn, a leader in biosynthesis research and co-founder of HotHouse Therapeutics, discusses the untapped potential of plant-derived medicines. She highlights how ancient societies utilized plants for healing and the advancements in technology that aid in discovering medicinal compounds. Anne explores examples like QS21, a vaccine adjuvant derived from the soap bark tree, and the role of AI in unlocking plant genomes for innovative drug development. The conversation shines a light on the future possibilities of sustainable medicine from nature.
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Plants As A Proven Drug Source
- Around half of current drugs are natural products or inspired by them, showing plants and microbes are rich drug sources.
- Evolution has tuned these molecules to interact with biological targets, making them exceptionally useful for medicine.
Soap Bark Tree Became A Vaccine Resource
- The soap bark tree (Quillaja saponaria) was used as soap and shampoo for centuries before its bark extract became valued for immune-boosting properties.
- QS21, the purified molecule, was later approved for human vaccines and now commands extremely high prices per gram.
Huge Unexplored Plant Genome Space
- Plant genomes are large and complex, but sequencing has accelerated; ~1,800 plant genomes are public now.
- There remain hundreds of thousands of species unsequenced, so most plant chemical potential is unexplored.