Scientists engineered plants to produce five psychedelics at once, plus brain-network “mega-analysis” findings

Genetically engineered tobacco plants were used to biosynthesize five psychedelic compounds in parallel: psilocin, psilocybin, DMT, bufotenin, and 5-methoxy-DMT. Researchers report that identifying DMT synthesis pathways in Nicotiana benthamiana enabled overexpression of key enzymes so all five compounds appeared within about a week, aiming for scalable and more sustainable production than harvesting wild sources. A separate mega-analysis using multi-center fMRI data found that psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, and ayahuasca produce similar changes in brain network connectivity. Across more than 500 people and 11 datasets, psychedelics increased functional connectivity between high-level cortical networks and sensory and motor processing networks, challenging the idea that psychedelics simply disintegrate brain networks. The newsletter also covers current policy and clinical-research updates, including Texas moving forward with ibogaine trials without a private drug company partner and U.S. lawmakers proposing a Veterans Affairs office to prepare for potential approval of psychedelic therapies.