Published 1 year ago

A Tobacco Plant Has Been Engineered to Produce Cocaine in Its Leaves

Summary by Ground News

Researchers from China's Kunming Institute of Botany have finally uncovered the last major steps of the biosynthetic process. Not only did they more or less map the biochemical pathway of cocaine's production, but the researchers also reconstructed the entire chain inside a humble tobacco plant for good measure.

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Science Alert

A Tobacco Plant Has Been Engineered to Produce Cocaine in Its Leaves

Used by humans as a stimulant and anesthetic for thousands of years, the drug commonly known as cocaine has been carefully shaped by species of the coca plant (Erythroxylum) over tens of millions of years in an arms race against hungry insects.

1 year ago·Australia

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Canaltech

Genetically edited plant produces cocaine in its leaves

In an experiment in China, researchers genetically edited a plant from the tobacco family and induced the production of cocaine. The tests were successful

1 year ago

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interestingengineering.com

Researchers have discovered a way to produce cocaine from a tobacco plant

Using genetic modification, researchers have reprogrammed a relative of a tobacco plant to produce cocaine in its leaves

1 year ago

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Fredzone

Producing cocaine by genetically modifying an ordinary plant

Chinese scientists have succeeded in producing cocaine by genetically modifying a plant that does not naturally produce the substance. Scientists have been trying to figure out how coca can produce cocaine for decades. Recently, researchers have been able to map most of the processes that take place in plants. However, he

1 year ago

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