Inspired by issues of healthcare inequity and global human rights, Henry Daniell has developed and advanced a novel approach to orally delivering affordable biopharmaceuticals, eliminating expensive injections and refrigeration. He has developed drugs to treat dental caries, diabetes, hemophilia, pulmonary hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as oral vaccines for cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, polio, and plague. Daniell is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the 14th foreign member of Italy’s 240-year-old National Academy of Science. He has been honored for his groundbreaking work by organizations including the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and is the recipient of the Bayer Healthcare Global Award.
The high cost of current vaccines and biopharmaceuticals is largely due to their complex production and delivery methods, including the significant costs of fermentation and purification systems and additional expenses associated with cold storage, transportation and sterile delivery. Therefore, Dr. Daniell pioneered and advanced the concept of expressing foreign genes in chloroplasts with major emphasis on vaccines and biopharmaceuticals. In addition to high levels of expression, protection of therapeutic proteins in the stomach by bio-encapsulation within plant cells and their release in the gut for presentation to the mucosal immune system or circulatory system, facilitate oral delivery of vaccines or auto-antigens. Oral delivery of bio-encapsulated vaccine antigens in high doses along with prime boost confers both mucosal and systemic immunity and greater protection against pathogens than delivery by injections alone.
In collaboration with his former student Roland Herzog, Daniell lab demonstrated that oral delivery of coagulation factor IX prevented the devastating inhibitor antibody response and pathogenic antibody formation that predisposes to life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to the therapeutic protein. Daniell lab has also demonstrated that oral delivery of proinsulin (without any priming) expressed in chloroplasts delayed the onset of type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice. Oral delivery of exendin-4 expressed in plant cells regulated blood glucose levels similar to injections by stimulating insulin secretion and a 5,000 fold excess dose didn’t cause hypoglycemia because insulinotropism of exendin-4 is glucose dependent. Some of his ongoing projects include the development of oral vaccines against infectious diseases (polio, tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, anthrax, plague, etc.) and oral tolerance against autoimmune disorders (type 1 diabetes, Pompe’s disease, multiple sclerosis etc). His lab also uses therapeutic protein delivery to degrade plaques in advanced Alzheimer’s brains or regulate blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes.
These investigations have resulted in >200 publications (several featured on covers of high impact journals), 50 awarded and >150 published global patents. Dr. Daniell’s research is currently supported by several NIH grants and funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bayer, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Department of Energy and USDA.
Honors / Credentials
- Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Italy, 14th American in 240-year history of this Academy, inducted in 2004; 1st American member – Benjamin Franklin inducted in 1786
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2007
- Editor in Chief, Plant Biotechnology Journal, Oxford, UK 2012; Founding Editor 2002
- Professor of Medicine, Pegasus Professor & University Board of Trustee Chair, UCF 1998-2013
- Professor, Associate Professor of Molecular Genetics, Auburn University, 1991-98
- Visiting Faculty, Harvard University, Cambridge, 1988
- Bayer Hemophilia Award, Buenos Aires, one among five global awards for outstanding research, 2010
- American Diabetes Association Award for outstanding contributions in diabetes research, 2008
- US Senate Briefing: Invitation by the NIH, Presentation of research to US Senators, 2007.
- US National Academy of Sciences: Chair, Super Panel Member, FCATP, 2008
- Featured in Nature Biotechnology for pioneering one among top nine inventions of the decade, 2007
- Featured among BioMed Central’s top 100 scientists/authors 2006/2007
- UCF Research Incentive Award for outstanding research contributions, 2002-2013
- UCF Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding teaching contributions, 2002-2007
- Distinguished lectures at Harvard, Yale, Pasteur Institute, Royal Society of Medicine, UC Berkeley, etc.
- Featured on Discovery Channel, Voice of America, BBC, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, global press
- Research highlighted in New York Times, Scientific American, Nature, Science, Nature Biotechnology
- Patentee, >50 Awarded US and international Patents; >150 published patents.
- Consultant to the United Nations on biotechnology since 1989, expert on mission 1989 -1991
News/Media
- Power of Penn London Event Video
- In London, Penn’s President Amy Gutmann presented the vision of for the University’s $4.1 Billion Campaign, The Power of Penn. (Penn Today, November 15, 2018) »
- New Biotechnology Startup Puts down Roots at Pennovation Center, (Pennovation Works, Nov. 12, 2018) »
- Henry Daniell’s Invention on Hypertension Featured in Penn’s Vagelos LSMCapstone Course, (Penn Dental Medicine, April 27, 2018) »
- Plant-made Hemophilia Therapy Shows Promise, Penn Study Finds, (Penn Today, Feb. 13, 2017) »
- Penn Dental team tweaks DNAto improve plant-based medicines, (Penn Today, Oct. 27, 2016) »
- Penn: Plant-made Antimicrobial Peptide Targets Dental Plaque and Gum Tissues, (Penn Today, Sept. 22, 2016) »
- Penn-led Team Develops Plant-based Polio Booster Vaccine, (Penn Today, July 20, 2016) »
- Penn Dental Medicine Study Produces Low-cost Drug in Lettuce, (Penn News, Sept. 30, 2015) »
- Journal Paper Earns Top Award from American Heart Association, (Penn Dental Medicine News, Sept. 28, 2015) »
- A Doctor and His Greenhouse, (Urban Engineers video, March 2015) »
- Plant Protein Potential, (The Medicine Maker, Jan. 2015) »
- Lettuce Pills May Help Treat Haemophilia, (Scientific American, Dec. 16, 2014) »
- Immunolgy: Oral Solutions, (Nature, Nov. 27, 2014) »
- Research of Dr. Henry Daniell Central Part of Penn Center for Innovation Development, (Penn News, Oct., 2014) »
- Penn-University of Florida Team Treats Pulmonary Hypertension Through the Leaves of Plants, (Penn News, Oct. 13, 2014) »
- Taking a leaf from the book of oral tolerance, (Blood, Sept. 4, 2014) »
- Plant-based Research at Penn Prevents Complication of Hemophilia Treatment in Mice, (Penn News, Sept. 4, 2014) »
- The Lettuce Cure, (The Pennsylvania Gazette, May/June 2014) »
- Growing Plants to Save Lives, (Penn Current, April 10, 2014) »
- Vaccines Made from Plants Could be Coming to a Pharmacy Near You, (WHYYNewsWorks, March 17, 2014) »
- Lettuce, the new secret weapon for making vaccines cheaper in the developing world? (WHYY, The Pulse, Dec. 12, 2014) »
- Penn Study Treats Alzheimer’s by Delivering Protein Across Blood-Brain Barrier, (Penn News, Dec. 6, 2013) »
- Delivering Drugs With Plants, Penn’s Henry Daniell Aims to Save Lives, (Penn News, Sept. 2, 2013) »
- Green Vaccines, (Penn Dental Medicine Journal, Fall 2013) »
- Daniell and UCF’s Global Influence, (UCFToday, Sept. 24, 2012) »
- Daniell Named Journal Editor, (UCGNews, Sept. 4, 2012) »
- Daniell Presents “Green” Solution, (UCFNews, Dec. 2, 2011) »
- Luminary Series: Dr. Henry Daniell presents Green Therapy Treating Diabetes, Hemophilia and Polio With Plant Vaccines (Nov. 2011)»
- Treating Diseases with Plants, (UCFNews, Oct. 28, 2011) »
- The Vaccine Hunter: Henry Daniell’s research earns UCFgrants, patents and acclaim, (Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 21, 2011) »
- Grant Aids Fight Against Diabetes, (UCFToday, Sept. 21, 2011) »
- UCF, UF Science Partnership Lands $5.5M in NIHGrants, (UCFToday, Sept. 2, 2011) »
- Racing to Find a Diabetes Cure, (UCFNews, June 24, 2011) »
- A Vaccine ‘Revolution’ Aims for Safer, Cheaper Treatments, (UCFToday, May 4, 2011) »
- New Vaccine Grant for UCF’s Henry Daniell, (UCF, May 3, 2011) »
- ONEShort: Fat or Fiction, (UCFTV, May 2, 2011) »
- Killing Diseases That Kill, (UCFToday, Oct. 27, 2010) »
- Daniell Presents His Research to Gates Foundation, (UCFNews, Oct. 15, 2010) »
- Hemophilia Research Earns Dr. Daniell Prestigious Award, (UCFNews July 23, 2010) »
- Cutting-edge Hemophilia Research Earns UCFScientist Prestigious Award, (UCF Research & Commercialization, July 12, 2010) »
- UCFFaculty Lounge – Andrew Daire/Henry Daniell, (UCFTV, June 9, 2010) »
- UCFFaculty Lounge – Andrew Daire/Henry Daniell, (UCFTV, June 9, 2010) »
- Daniell Featured in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, (UCFNews, April 30, 2010) »
- UCFResearchers Create Lettuce That Makes Insulin, (abc7, April 29, 2010) »
- Curing Diabetes with Lettuce, (UCF, April 21, 2010) »
- UCFProf Harnesses Plant Power to Fight Hemophilia, (UCF Today, April 5, 2010) »
- Researchers harness the power of plants to fight hemophilia, (Innovations Report, March 31, 2010) »
- Zenith – Vaccines Part 2, (UCFTV, March 4, 2010) »
- Orange Peels, Newspapers May Lead to Cheaper, Cleaner Ethanol Fuel, (U.S. World News Report, Feb. 22, 2010)»
- Cleaner Ethanol Fuel From Orange Peels, Newspapers?, (UCFToday, Feb. 18, 2010) »
- Orange Peels, Newspapers May Lead to Cheaper, Cleaner Ethanol Fuel, (UCFResearch & Commercialization) »
- BYULife Sciences College Seminar – Dr. Henry Daniell (Feb. 11, 2010) »
- Zenith – Vaccines, (UCFTV, Feb. 9, 2010) »
- UCFProfessor’s Vaccine Could be Lethal Weapon against Malaria, Cholera, (EurekAlert, Jan. 26, 2010) »
- UCF-Developed Vaccine May Fight Malaria, Cholera, (Orlando Business Journal, Jan. 26, 2010) »
- UCFLuminary Series – Lettuce As A Cure, (UCFTV, June 30, 2009) »
- Henry Daniell – Green Giant, (UCFToday, April 3, 2009) »
- Henry Daniell May Have Black Plague Vaccine, (UCFToday, Feb. 27, 2009) »
- Researchers Look to Lettuce for Diabetes Cure, (KMBC-TV, Nov. 7, 2007) »
- Judyth Piazza chats with Dr. Henry Daniell, University of Central Florida, (the SOP, April 3, 2007) »
- Insulin Grown in Plants Relieves Diabetes in Mice, (Innovations Report, Jan. 8, 2007) »
- Chloroplast-Derived Anthrax and Other Vaccine Antigens: Their Immunogenic and Immunoprotective Properties »
- Henry Daniell: Chloroplast Genetic Engineering (preview), (Biotechnology Journal, 2006) »
- LifeBoat Foundation: Advisory Board »
- Effective, Safe Anthrax Vaccine Can Be Grown in Tobacco Plants, (Innovations Report, Dec. 21, 2005) »
- Effective, Safe Anthrax Vaccine Can Be Grown In Tobacco Plants, (Science Daily, Dec. 20, 2005) »
- Introduction to the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Plant Organelles (pgs 1-12, Springer 2004) »
- Edible Vaccines for Anthrax Soon, (The Times of India, Jan. 6, 2002) »
