A smoking new feedstock
While people are trying to cut down on tobacco, one research unit has increased the amount of oil produced from tobacco leaves, a potential feedstock for biodiesel.
Tobacco seeds produce around 40% oil per dry weight but a crop of the plant yields only around 600kg of seeds per acre. The leaves have an oil content of around 1.7-4% oil per dry weight.
In Pennsylvania, US, researchers from the Thomas Jefferson University's Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories (BFL) identified that oil production in the leaves was controlled by two genes: the diacyglycerol acytransferase (DGAT) and the Leafy Cotyledon 2 (LEC2) genes.
By genetic engineering, it achieved oil yields of 5.8% oil per dry weight by modifying the DGAT while changes to the LEC2 resulted in a yield of 6.8% per dry weight.
Tobacco seeds produce around 40% oil per dry weight but a crop of the plant yields only around 600kg of seeds per acre. The leaves have an oil content of around 1.7-4% oil per dry weight.
In Pennsylvania, US, researchers from the Thomas Jefferson University's Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories (BFL) identified that oil production in the leaves was controlled by two genes: the diacyglycerol acytransferase (DGAT) and the Leafy Cotyledon 2 (LEC2) genes.
By genetic engineering, it achieved oil yields of 5.8% oil per dry weight by modifying the DGAT while changes to the LEC2 resulted in a yield of 6.8% per dry weight.
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