Scientists engineer tobacco to produce five different tryptamine psychedelics at the same time by combining genes from plants, mushrooms, and toads

Genetically engineered tobacco plants were built to biosynthesize five tryptamine psychedelics at once, using a heterologous plant system as a potential research production platform. The researchers combined psychedelic biosynthetic genes and pathways sourced from multiple organisms. Genes associated with DMT production were taken from Psychotria viridis and Acacia acuminata, while psilocin and psilocybin pathways were drawn from Psilocybe cubensis and bufotenin and 5-MeO-DMT were tied to the cane toad (Rhinella marina). Enzymes from other plants were added to support the pathway before the full genetic toolkit was introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana. The engineered plants produced all five compounds simultaneously, though some appeared in lower quantities due to pathway competition. The team also tweaked enzymes to generate non-natural plant analogs, aiming to enable more efficient in-plant production and future design of compounds for therapeutic research.