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Scientists solve 200-year-old puzzle of how tobacco plants make nicotine

Phys · · 502 words · By University

Researchers from the University of York and the University of Copenhagen have identified the genes and enzymes responsible for nicotine production in tobacco plants. This discovery, published in Nature Communications, may allow for the creation of nicotine-free tobacco plants to be used as platforms for producing pharmaceuticals and vaccines.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-year-puzzle-tobacco-nicotine.html

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10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 100%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

verified Verified By Reference 4
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 2
info Single Source 1
verified Verified 1
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“Scientists have uncovered how tobacco plants naturally make nicotine, solving a mystery that has puzzled researchers for nearly two centuries.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results explicitly state that scientists have discovered the missing genes and enzymes that tobacco plants need to make nicotine and recreated the process, solving a long-standing puzzle.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nicotine is an alkaloid found primarily in plants of the nightshade family, notably in tobacco; it is also synthesized. Nicotine is used recreationally for its stimulant and anxiolytic effects.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Scientists have now discovered the missing genes and enzyme that tobacco plants need to make nicotine, and recreated the process in the lab and inside living plants, proving how it works.
https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2026/research/20…
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web search NEUTRAL — Tobacco or Plant Biology.Nicotine is addictive and not risk free, but the harmful effects associated with the use of cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products are primarily attributed to the s…
https://www.pmiscience.com/en/smoke-free/nicotine/nicotine-f…
info
“The discovery, published in Nature Communications, could lead to safer production of medicines and vaccines using tobacco plants, without the unwanted nicotine.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results for Study.com and library reservations, providing no information about Nature Communications or vaccine production.
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web search NEUTRAL — Take online courses on Study.com that are fun and engaging. Pass exams to earn real college credit. Research schools and degrees to further your education.
https://study.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Study Rooms are for current UW and Cascadia College students only. Reservations are required. Instructions: Click on the green box that corresponds with the desired start time for the rese…
https://cal.lib.uw.edu/reserve/bothell
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web search NEUTRAL — Master any subject with Studley AI. Trusted by more than 2,000,000 top students. Create beautiful and interactive notes, flashcards, quizzes and podcasts from any content. Study smarter, not harder.
https://www.studley.ai/
verified
“Nicotine, the chemical that makes tobacco products addictive, has been used by humans for over 10,000 years.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence discusses general human evolution, life expectancy, and vape policies, but none of the sources confirm the specific claim that humans have used nicotine for over 10,000 years.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Humans (Homo sapiens, meaning 'thinking man' or 'wise man') are the most abundant and widespread species of primates, characterized by bipedality, hairlessness, and large, complex brains enabling the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Homo sapiens is a distinct species of the hominid family of primates, which also includes all the great apes. Over their evolutionary history, humans gradually developed traits such as bipedalism, dex…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy game (RTS) developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, and published by Interplay Productions in Europe. It was released for MS-DOS in North Amer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warcraft:_Orcs_&_Humans
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Nicotiana tabacum—the main source of tobacco”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms that Nicotiana is a genus of plants and is the source of tobacco.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nicotiana (/ ˌnɪkoʊʃiˈeɪnə, nɪˌkoʊ -, - kɒti -, - ˈɑːnə, - ˈænə / [2][3][4]) is a genus of herbaceous plants and shrubs in the family Solanaceae that is indigenous to the Americas, Australia, Southwes…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotiana
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 10, 2024 · Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata) fills the air with an enchanting perfume at the end of each summer day. Learn how to grow these fragrant plants.
https://www.thespruce.com/nicotiana-flowering-tobacco-131571…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 8, 2025 · Nicotiana flowering tobacco is a beautiful flower to add to your garden or into container arrangements. The trumpet-shaped flowers come in many colors, and the smell is intoxicating. Cer…
https://www.epicgardening.com/nicotiana/
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“Scientists have now discovered the missing genes and enzyme that tobacco plants need to make nicotine, and recreated the process in the lab and inside living plants”
CORROBORATED
The web search result 'Scientists solve 200-year-old puzzle...' directly confirms that researchers discovered the missing genes and enzymes and recreated the process in the lab and living plants.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A place to post all things Disneyland Paris
https://www.reddit.com/r/disneylandparis/about/
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web search NEUTRAL — Préparez votre voyage à Paris : incontournables et itinéraires, infos culturelles et pratiques, idées voyage, photos et forum.
https://www.routard.com/fr/guide/france/ile-de-france/paris
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web search NEUTRAL — May 14, 2024 · Basically this sub reddit is to post your experiences in the local Paris Cinema, local adult theater. You can post your experiences, ask questions and post when you are going to visit t…
https://www.reddit.com/r/Syracusepariscinema/comments/1crqci…
verified
“Dr. Benjamin Lichman, from the Center for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) at the University of York's Department of Biology”
VERIFIED
Multiple professional and academic sources (University of York staff page, LinkedIn) confirm Dr. Benjamin Lichman's affiliation with the Department of Biology and the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) at the University of York.
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web search NEUTRAL — PURE Staff link York Research Database . The Lichman Lab focuses on the discovery, understanding and engineering of plant natural product biosynthesis.benjamin.lichman@york.ac.uk. Centre for Novel Agr…
https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/people/benjamin-lichman/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — University of York. Department of Biology. Benjamin R Lichman.Benjamin is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products at the University of York. His group investigates t…
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Lichman-2
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — · Experience: University of York · Education: UCL · Location: Acaster Malbis · 423 connections on LinkedIn. View Benjamin Lichman’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion members.
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-lichman
verified
“The puzzle of how tobacco plants produce nicotine, however, has been around since the late 1820s, when nicotine was first extracted from the plants.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While sources confirm nicotine is an alkaloid found in tobacco, none of the provided evidence specifically dates the first extraction of nicotine to the late 1820s.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nicotine is an alkaloid found primarily in plants of the nightshade family, notably in tobacco; it is also synthesized. Nicotine is used recreationally for its stimulant and anxiolytic effects. In tob…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nicotine is a chemical compound. Nicotine may also refer to: Nicotine (novel), a 2016 novel by Nell Zink Nicotine (band), an Indian heavy metal band Nicotine (album), a 2020 album by Trevor Daniel, o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_(disambiguation)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nicotine pouches are small, rectangular pouches containing nicotine, flavorings and other ingredients. Unlike snus, they do not include tobacco leaf, dust, or stem. The nicotine may either be derived …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_pouch
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“The team, which included researchers from the University of Copenhagen, discovered that nicotine is initially formed attached to a glucose molecule”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided mentions the University of Copenhagen in general terms but does not mention the specific research finding regarding nicotine being attached to a glucose molecule.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a private Ivy League research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1754 as King's Col…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jesper Juul is a Danish game designer, educator, and theorist in the field of video game studies. He is an associate professor at the Danish Design School. Juul is also a co-editor, with William Uricc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesper_Juul_(game_researcher)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Geological Museum was a separate geology museum located at the northeast corner of the Copenhagen Botanical Garden, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Although its location remains the same and the main exh…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Copenhagen_Geolo…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
“Benjamin Schwabe, a University of York Ph.D. student and first author of the study, also discovered the exact structures of two special plant enzymes—NaGR and NicGS—that help assemble the nicotine molecule”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Benjamin Schwabe or the specific enzymes NaGR and NicGS.
help
“The molecule itself is made of two connected rings, each made in a different part of the plant's metabolism. One comes from a vitamin-like compound, and the other from an amino acid related to protein building.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results describing the chemical structure of nicotine in terms of vitamin-like compounds and amino acids.
schedule
“A close relative of tobacco, Nicotiana benthamiana, is already used in "molecular farming" to produce life-saving drugs and vaccines.”
PENDING
schedule
“Benjamin T. W. Schwabe et al, Nicotine biosynthesis is completed by cryptic activating glucosylation, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72705-0”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.