Plant-made pharmaceuticals: The process in which plant roots are engineered and used as production organs that secrete or accumulate therapeutic proteins is commonly termed what?

Introduction / Context:
Plant molecular farming uses plants or plant organs to produce high-value proteins such as antibodies, enzymes, and vaccines. Hairy root cultures and whole-root systems can act as living bioreactors, with some platforms designed to secrete the recombinant product into the surrounding medium—an approach termed rhizosecretion.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Roots can be transformed (e.g., via Agrobacterium rhizogenes) to create fast-growing, hormone-independent cultures.
• Protein products may be secreted into hydroponic or culture media, simplifying downstream recovery.

Concept / Approach:
Rhizosecretion exploits the natural secretory pathways of roots, sometimes enhanced by signal peptides and secretion tags, to export recombinant proteins into the medium. This allows continuous harvest without destroying the biomass and can improve product stability and purity relative to whole-leaf extractions.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Case studies report secretion of antibodies, growth factors, and enzymes from transformed root systems, with media exchange enabling semi-continuous production.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Microcosm establishment: ecological setups, not protein production.
• Mibridization: not a standard term.
• Bioremediation: pollutant cleanup using organisms.
• Phytovolatilization: plants volatilize contaminants, unrelated to protein secretion.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing hairy root culture (the biomass platform) with the specific process of secreting recombinant proteins (rhizosecretion). Not all root-based systems are secretion platforms.

Final Answer:
Rhizosecretion