New technology simultaneously reduces nicotine content and harmful compounds in tobacco

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technology that can change the metabolism of plants

Xie Deyu said: "Many technologies can successfully reduce specific chemical substances or alkaloids in tobacco and other plants, but studies have shown that some of these technologies reduce target compounds while also increasing other harmful chemicals

This technology uses transcription factors and regulatory elements as molecular tools for new regulatory design

"PAP1 regulates pigmentation, so tobacco plants that we overexpress the PAP1 gene are red," Xie said

Professor Xie and his colleagues tested this hypothesis by studying tobacco plants in greenhouses and fields, and found that the levels of harmful chemicals and nicotine were reduced in both experiments

Xie believes that this technology has the potential to be used in other crops to promote other beneficial traits and make some foods healthier

This paper was published in the "Journal of Advanced Research"

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A De Novo regulation design shows an effectiveness in altering plant secondary metabolism