Using Combinatorial Transformation to produce Valuable Metabolites in Nicotiana tabacum

Cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) are important secondary metabolites produced mainly on the flowering parts of Cannabis sativa plants, which are known to have a multitude of human therapeutic values. Cannabis also produced over 120 different cannabinoids, with many therapeutics yet to be uncovered. However, cannabis cannot produce standardized amounts of cannabinoids. Different environmental factors such as light and water are known to affect both the amount and type of cannabinoids produced. My project overcomes this issue by introducing the cannabinoid metabolic pathway into a model plant species, Nicotiana tabacum, using combinatorial transformation. This involves introducing the set of genes required for metabolite production in a single bombardment, with independent plant lines being generated from subsequent regeneration. Results from this set of experiments show cannabinoid-producing transgenic tobacco lines, which is yet to be described in the literature. This study demonstrates the potential for Nicotiana tabacum to be used as a vessel for standardized secondary metabolite production.