Genetically modified plants grow constantly

In a groundbreaking study, scientists in Germany transformed genes, creating tobacco plants that grew constantly.

According to Investor's Business Daily, under normal conditions, tobacco plants have a relatively short life cycle. They grow in about 3-4 months, reaching a maximum height of 2 meters. Over time, the old leaves of the plant will turn yellow and fall off. After flowering, the plant will die.

However, researchers at Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Molecular and Ecological Biology (IME) in Münster, Germany have disabled the 'gene switch', which causes tobacco plants to stop growing, bloom and die. By inhibiting that gene, scientists have 'tricked' the tree to continue to grow, even old leaves remain green and healthy.

Genetically modified tobacco plants of German scientists have lived for up to 8 years
while the normal life cycle of all tobacco plants is only 3-4 months.

'Our first experimental tobacco plant is now nearly 8 years old but still growing constantly. Although we regularly trimmed, it was 2.5 meters high , 'said Dirk Prüfer, professor of functional and applied Khoa Gene of the IME Institute.

Research on genes in plants also creates a variation of switchgrass (like the grass in Vietnam) - an important source of material for biofuel production - growing faster and giving bigger roots. Through the disabling of the gene called UPBEAT1 , switchgrass never received any signal to stop growth. This led scientists to believe that they could use transgenic plants to produce a more profitable crop of biofuel crops.

In another study for tobacco plants, scientists have genetically altered their ability to glow in the dark. By transplanting a gene from marine bioluminescent bacteria, researchers at BioGlow have developed a tobacco plant that possesses faintly glowing green leaves.

The team at the IME Institute hopes to use their genetic modification techniques to produce larger food crops and live longer. They are now shaking hands with a Japanese company to produce a tomato plant that has a special growth ability like their giant tobacco plant.