Artificial cocaine biosynthesis

[pericles]

The thread containing the post

Post 295864

(Organikum: "Biosomething", Novel Discourse) talks about possibily adapting this method for producing ephedra to produce cocaine. Has anyone made any progress researching this option?

I'm afraid I don't know too much about microbiology (but can certainly learn), but I will likely soon have access to a quantity of erythroxylum coca plants, and would be happy to give culturing cocaine in a tub a shot if I had some pointers on what the procedure would look like.

So, questions:
* Is everyone agreed that this is at least a reasonable possibility, biologically speaking?
* Would it be completely impossible to do without industrial facilities?
* Has anyone found a translation of the patent discussed

Post 295864

(Organikum: "Biosomething", Novel Discourse) here?
* Is there a particular area of biology that would focus on this topic?

I'm certainly not opposed to putting a fair bit of effort into this, as long as there's a reasonable chance of success.

[pericles]

The patent in Organikum's post refers to "ephedra cell ZHJ-25 CGMCC No.0359". Here's the patent on it:

Title: Ephedra cell ZHJ-25 CGMCC No.0359 and its induction method
Application Number:    98125187    Application Date:    1998.12.04
Publication Number:    1256309    Publication Date:    2000.06.14
Approval Pub. Date:       Granted Pub. Date:    
International Classification:    C12N 5/04
Applicant(s) Name:    Inst. of Chemical Metallurgy, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Address:    (100080)
Inventor(s) Name:    Cha Lihang
Attorney & Agent:    gao cunxiu
Abstract
    The present invention relates to the utilization of biological technology. The induced Ephedra cell ZHJ-25 is preserved in Chinese Microbe Preservation Center in the code of CGMCC No.0359. The induction method of the present invention is t hat after cleaning and disinfection, Ephedra plant is inoculated into culture medium with 1.0-10% wt./vol.sugar culture medium for culture at 23-26 deg.c for 5-30 days to obtain Ephedra callus, which is then transferred to culture medium fo r subculture. The Ephedra cell of the present invention has a proliferation of 3-5 times and a ephedrine content of 0.1-20% dry weight.

[urushibara]

perhaps this could also be adapted to other plants too - for example, peyote, mimosa hostilis, iboga... hmmm perhaps that acacia rididula or berklandii (sp?)... certainly the possibility of vat culturing fungi has been well researched and usable now.

dammit now I am really going to have to learn tissue culturing and progress from there...