Bioweapon fears create serum

The San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical develops ZMapp with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) due to fears Ebola could be used as a bioweapon. ZMapp is made from two serums, MB-003 developed and ZMAb, made by Canadian company Defyrus Inc., and combined by Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s commercial arm LeafBio. MB-003 uses three chimera antibodies developed in mice, with human DNA spliced in, and grown in a genetically engineered indigenous Australian tobacco plant. ZMab was developed in a similar way.