Scientists crack opium poppy’s genetic code

Researchers have discovered the genes that allow the opium poppy to make codeine and morphine, according to a new study.

The findings could lead to engineered plants and micro-organisms that efficiently make codeine, one of the most widely prescribed painkillers in the world, the researchers said.

Unlike morphine, codeine cannot be easily converted to heroin.

“The enzymes encoded by these two genes have eluded plant biochemists for a half-century,” said Peter Facchini, a professor at the University of Calgary in Canada and co-author of the paper.

“In finding not only the enzymes but also the genes, we've make a major step forward,” he said in a press release.

Full Story: AFP: Scientists crack opium poppy’s genetic code.