The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). PlantPharm BioMed hopes its vaccine will be able to immunize multiple species of animals, both wild and domestic, and break the “animal-related path of the pandemic chain of COVID-19,” according to a Wednesday announcement.

PlantPharm transforms specific plants into “vaccine factories” by introducing antigens into the plant cells. Those plants are then multiplied and grown to maturity in controlled-atmosphere conditions. PlantPharm has a certified laboratory in Delavan where scientists grow batches of the injected plants. The vaccines are scalable into millions of shelf-stable, edible doses. The company was featured in BizTimes Milwaukee in 2022 for its innovations.

PlantPharm’s edible COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to wild animals through feeding stations. Farm animals can be vaccinated by adding a pelletized vaccine mixed into their normal feed rations without the need of a needle injection. Domestic pets including dogs and cats can also be vaccinated with an edible vaccine-treat.

“PlantPharm BioMed was chosen for this award as its work supports the actions of APHIS toward the world-wide ‘One Health initiative,’ a concept that recognizes that the health of people, animals and the environment are linked,” according to Wednesday’s announcement. “For decades, APHIS has taken a ‘One Health’ approach in its efforts to eradicate and control diseases in livestock and wildlife.”

PlantPharm BioMed has previously grown a Hepatitis B vaccine in plants that were provided orally in a successful human clinical trial, and several other plant-based biopharma products.