Study Shows Potential of Modified Tobacco as Biofuel Source

In Spain, a researcher has genetically modified a tobacco plant so that it could store high levels of starch in the leaves and produce high amount of fermentable sugars for biofuel production.

In her PhD dissertation research, Ruth Sanz-Barrio used a specific protein known as thioredoxin f  to regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates and to obtain a significant increase in the amount of starch in the tobacco leaves, which could reach 700 percent with respect to the amount obtained from non-modified control plants. The leaves of the genetically modified tobacco plants could release 500 percent more fermentable sugars, which could be turned into bioethanol.

Based on a theoretical calculation, one could obtain up to 40 liters of bioethanol per ton of fresh leaves, or almost ten-fold increase in bioethanol yield with respect to the control tobacco plant. The non-edible tobacco could potentially replace food crops as alternative source of biofuels.The estimated starch yield potential of the modified tobacco could match those of cereal crops like barley or wheat.