Researchers find how to make morphine and other painkillers at home

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3086478/Discovery-opens-door-homemade-morphine-painkillers.html

For the past decade, various groups of researchers have hacked the DNA of yeast to mimic poppies, in hopes of creating cheaper and less addictive pain relievers. So far, the yeast strains created can only perform the last steps of a long process that can lead to morphine and other narcotic drugs. A team led by researchers at UC Berkeley discovered the missing piece — the first step in the process — and published the findings Monday in the journal Nature Chemical Biology…

With technology advancing, some point out that there could come a time when brewing morphine may be as simple as brewing beer. In a commentary published in the journal Nature, a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Alberta in Canada called for restricting genetically modified yeast strains to licensed facilities so that they won’t fall into the wrong hands.  They also want current laws to be extended to make such yeast strains illegal to distribute…

Pretty soon, we won’t need doctors at all. 🙂