Biotech Goes Underground

In Southern Indiana's cave country, this former rock quarry is where, for nearly a century, limestone miners carved out their livelihood. Today, it's a converted warehouse.

Inside this subterranean maze, the air is damp and a chilly 51 degrees. A dark winding road connects 12 spacious chambers, some of which are being used by the U.S. military to store thousands of "meals ready-to-eat" or MREs. Other occupants include tire companies that have found the stable temperatures are ideal for keeping supplies.

Sounds kind of like science fiction, doesn't it?

But today, one of the chambers is alive with promise, alive as in living. Businessman Doug Ausenbaugh is growing genetically modified corn in what resembles a one-room house — a hot one, actually — at a constant 82 degrees, CBS News correspondent Thalia Assuras reports.

Did Ausenbaugh ever think he'd be growing plants in a mine?

"Never," Ausenbaugh, who is president of Controlled Pharming Ventures said. "Never thought it would happen."

"We are able to control temperature to plus or minus one or two degrees," he said. "We've got a normal schedule for watering and feeding."

Thanks to advances in biotechnology, gene sequences from an unrelated plant or a different species can be inserted into corn. As it grows, it will produce a protein that can be harvested and manufactured into a drug or vaccine.

"We could potentially use plants to produce life-saving compounds for things such as cancer or diabetes or cystic fibrosis," Ausenbaugh said.

The key is the cave setting, which provides virtually complete control of the environment. The amount and intensity of light plants receive can be increased to shorten growth times and boost the number of harvests.

"We can access this from any Internet connection," he said about his control system.

Ausenbaugh insists it is safe — nothing gets in.

"It allows us to do things in a purer way," he said. "We don't have to use any insecticides. We don't have an insect problem."

And nothing gets out — that's a major concern. Six years ago, genetically modified starlink corn, designed to repel pests and intended for animal feed, was discovered in taco shells and was blamed for allergic reactions in 44 people.

Ausenbaugh promises that growing genetically altered crops in a contained environment like his facility offers mistake-free production and for drug companies, significant savings.

"Progress is being made. It's being made in small baby steps because it's just a new science," Ausenbaugh said.