US researchers increase tobacco's oil production for biofuel use

Wikinews by Iain Macdonald | Jan. 3, 2010 (News Report)

A team of researchers from the Thomas Jefferson University's Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories (BFL) in the United States have managed to increase the amount of oil produced by tobacco leaves. Tobacco oil can be very efficiently converted to biofuel, but most oil is located in the seeds, which the plant does not produce many of. Full Story »

Posted by Iain Macdonald

See All Reviews »

View

Review

Peter Henry
3.3
 by Peter Henry - Jan. 5, 2010

Interesting story on how tobacco plants might be genetically modified to produce more oil, which could be used to make biodiesel fuel. Although mention is made of the desire to find "biofuel sources that are not also potential food," the fundamental issues of what else could be planted in place of tobacco, and of the energy/nutrient requirements to grow tobacco, are completely bypassed, lowering the article's interest to mere curiosity.

See All Reviews »

Peter's Rating

Overall
3.3

Average
from 10 answers
Quality
3.4
Facts
4.0
Fairness
4.0
Sourcing
4.0
Style
4.0
Context
2.0
Depth
2.0
Enterprise
4.0
Relevance
5.0
Popularity
3.0
Recommendation
3.0
More How our ratings work »