People have been trying to improve crops since we started farming. Here are a few resources to get you mind wrapped around the molecular aspect of what is going on inside plant cells, what they are made up of, and then some thoughts on what is possible.
Hard Science
“Drugs frequently require interactions with multiple targets—via a process known as polypharmacology—to achieve their therapeutic actions. Currently, drugs targeting several serotonin receptors, including the 5-HT2C receptor, are useful for treating obesity, drug abuse, and schizophrenia. The competing challenges of developing selective 5-HT2C receptor ligands or creating drugs with a defined polypharmacological profile, especially aimed at G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), remain extremely difficult. Here, we solved two structures of the 5-HT2C receptor in complex with the highly promiscuous agonist ergotamine and the 5-HT2A-C receptor-selective inverse agonist ritanserin at resolutions of 3.0 Å and 2.7 Å, respectively. We analyzed their respective binding poses to provide mechanistic insights into their receptor recognition and opposing pharmacological actions.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867418300011
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/340/6132/615
Previous Installations
I think that the extraction methods being used are very close if not the same for any extract, of various alkaloids. I would like to see if through companion gardening we could develop the extracts we currently have.
The theory goes as follows. Create a plant with incredibly sticky pectin. Then begin cultivating various plants which have various alkaloids in them, which target particular, or defend against, types of predators. The pectin would be used as an organically grown glue to hold together anything the cultivators want to combine. This allows various mixes to be tested to determine which procures the most effective combination of alkaloids.
Begin research for a new plant, which produces something close to the desired “resin” which can be easily modified. Then test DNA modification on the plant so it natively produces the specialized pectin polymers. Afterwards, introduce various, desired companion plants to control glue adhesiveness. Ultimately, creating a glue which binds to positive or negative charged molecules indiscriminately to incorporate them into a protective casing for the pollen tubes.
In addition to column chromatography, various membranes should be developed to allow specific alkaloids to cross while preventing all others. This should be used to hold back any sort of flooding and allow already prepared alkaloids inside. Once inside, column chromatography could be used to characterize positive or negative nature of alkaloids. Once characterized, acid to base extraction will be used to isolate the compound. Once isolated, compounds can be tested with others to understand various mixtures and their potency.
