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Research With Tobacco Plants Leads Science to New Lights!

-Posted by sid-
Categories: pipe tobacco Press technology

The sun goes down and the streets in the city are lighted. But not with electricity. The glow comes from bioluminescence of genetically modified trees. This may sound like science fiction; however, scientists could develop glowing trees that replace streetlights. This breakthrough in bioluminescence was derived from research done at Cambridge University. The process is implemented by transduction of modified genes with E. coli bacteria. No glowing trees have been grown, but multiple colors and significant amounts of light have been produced using this method.

These newer breakthroughs in genetic engineering are derived from studies initially done using tobacco plants. Biochemists from the University of California at San Diego added the gene of a firefly to the tobacco's DNA. The gene produces Luciferase (an enzyme that makes fireflies glow). The scientist then integrated it into tobacco cells. The result was a tobacco plant with leaves, roots and stems that glow. Just like a firefly.