Scientists find path to creating morphine without poppies

Scientists have identified a key gene used by poppies to make morphine, paving the way for better methods of producing the medically important drug, potentially without the need for cultivating poppy fields.

The latest finding follows recent success in engineering brewer's yeast to synthesise opiates such as morphine and codeine from a common sugar, boosting the prospect of "home-brew" drug supply.

But whether making morphine in bubbling vats of yeast will be commercially viable - either for drug companies or criminal gangs - is far from certain, since poppies are very efficient natural factories.

"Poppies are not going to be displaced overnight by any stretch of the imagination," said Ian Graham, a professor at the University of York, who worked on the latest gene discovery.

While extracting opiates from genetically engineered yeast is now a real possibility, he sees more immediate benefits from applying the latest knowledge to developing better poppy plants.

"Having our hands on this gene allows us to develop molecular breeding approaches to creating bespoke poppy varieties that make different compounds," he said.