The bottleneck of functional food industry is a lack of bioactive metabolite contents in target plants. Thus, the technologies for enhancement of bioactive metabolite contents are innovative challenge in plant science and functional food field. Plants constantly synthesize secondary metabolites to adapt to environmental condition, which might accelerate the production of specific metabolites in plants. Metabolite farming is defined as a special procedure to let accumulate bioactive ingredients in plants. Metabolite farming is based on biotic or abiotic stresses, which produce a lot of ROS that stimulate biosynthetic pathway to synthesize secondary metabolites resisting to ROS.

In this presentation, we would introduce very successful case studies for metabolite farming by using signal molecules such as salicylic acid and ethylene. The first thing is regarding phytoestrogen riched soybean leaves (PRSL), which were produced by ethylene and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). The level of changes in phytoestrogen were more than 50-fold in comparison with the control soybean leaves. This PRSL showed dramatic biological function to menopause problems, skin wrinkle, accumulation of fat, and Alzheimer’s disease from animal experiments. The second thing is about coumestrol and daidzein enriched soybean roots by using salicylic acid. Total amounts of coumestrol and daidzein were 4.8 mg/g and 8.9 mg/g, which are the most highest contents so far from plant sources. We also observed the successful results from Angelica acutiloba. The bioactive coumarins including xanthotoxin were increased more than 10-fold by ethylene in the roots part.

Xenohormesis is a biological principle that bioactive metabolites from stressed plants can confer stress resistance and survival benefits to animals. The target metabolites derived from metabolite farming are equivalent to bioactive metabolites from stressed plants. Thus, the products from metabolite farming might be considered as the most promising candidates being able to expect xenohormesis effects. Nowadays, metabolite farming is in beginning stage, but it would be a strong tool to create new nutraceutical stuff.

In 1992, BIONEER was founded as the first company to commercialize DNA synthesis technology and thermostable DNA polymerases for PCR in Korea. Throughout its history, BIONEER succeeded in domestically producing DNA synthesis raw materials, and in 2001 BIONEER developed the world's first 384-parallel oligo synthesizer and built a global-scale oligo synthesis facility. With this achievement, BIONEER continued developing a human siRNA library, which led to expansion of the base in the biotechnology industry in Korea. Utilizing various modifications for oligonucleotides, BIONEER successfully achieved the domestic production of all the raw materials used for molecular diagnostics. Upon the launch of thermostable DNA polymerases for PCR developed by the Korean Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), BIONEER developed the thermal cycler for PCR, enabling the complete localization of PCR technology and its easy access as research source to universities and research institutes. In 2002, BIONEER developed both real-time PCR instruments and reagents in Asia first and built biological warfare detection system using them. In 1995, BIONEER invented a high-sensitivity silver staining kit and DNA sequencing kit and apparatus sequencing without the use of radioactive isotopes and further developed an automated sequencer using a single-fluorescent label in 2000. BIONEER also have developed automated nucleic acid extraction equipment and silica magnetic nanoparticles since 2001. BIONEER integrated its real-time PCR instrument and automatic extractor and created an original molecular diagnostic platform, which contributed to the molecular diagnostics industry and national pandemic combat. Utilizing the accumulated oligo synthesis techniques, BIONEER invented SAMiRNA™ which is a self-assembling micellar interfering RNA nanoparticle, and is developing new disease-modifying drug candidates that treat chronic and incurable diseases. With this new SAMiRNA™ technology, BIONEER developed CosmeRNA®, the world's first siRNA-based anti-hair loss functional cosmetic and achieved the notification from CPNP (Cosmetic Products Notification Portal), which open the new era of well-being products based on RNAi.

Keywords: DNA·RNA Oligo, PCR, MDx (Molecular Diagnostics), siRNA, SAMiRNA, CosmeRNA