NEWCOTIANA is a research project that uses New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) to develop new Nicotiana plant varieties producing end-value chemicals. Plants can be used as biofactories of biopharmaceuticals and other added-value chemicals at an agricultural scale, offering a sustainable solution for present and future manufacturing needs. Species of the genus Nicotiana, more specifically N. tabacum (cultivated tobacco) and N. benthamiana (an Australian relative), are among the most widely used plant biofactories due to their favourable attributes such as metabolic versatility, ease of cultivation, high yield, availability of genetic tools for trait manipulation, and non-food status, which minimizes the possibility of contamination of the food supply.
In contrast to its high appreciation as biofactory, traditional tobacco cultivation is in continuous decline in Europe due, among other reasons, to the bad reputation of a crop that is mainly used for manufacturing cigarettes and other smoking products. NEWCOTIANA aims to offer an alternative to tobacco farmers by breeding competitive Nicotiana biofactory varieties for high value non-smoking products. However, to become fully competitive and scalable biofactories, Nicotiana plants need to incorporate unconventional traits such as protein stability or metabolite fortification, which are not accessible to traditional breeding. Recently, NBTs have emerged that bring unprecedented opportunities for Plant Biotechnology. The driving hypothesis in NEWCOTIANA is that breeding tobacco biofactory varieties for high value non-smoking products is possible with the use of NPBTs. Furthermore, NEWCOTIANA goals include improving public awareness and understanding of NBTs by creating a two-way dialogue between science on the one hand and stakeholders, policymakers and the general public on the other.
NEWCOTIANA results demonstrate the great potential of NBT in developing new crops, specifically industrial crops, in response to current societal and agricultural challenges. New added-value plant varieties with improved composition were generated in the project. Field trials were conducted to assess the agronomic performance of new varieties. All possible areas of concern raised in the risk assessment analysis were addressed and no other safety issues arose from the trials. The objectives of the project were perceived very positively by stakeholders and well received by the public. Positive public opinion was the result of the perceived social benefits derived from the project and was facilitated by the non-food status of the crop. In light of these results, the NEWCOTIANA consortium considers that a lift of current technology-based restrictions in NBT, and its substitution by a new case-by-case regulation that focuses on products, is strongly needed to respond to producers’ needs while aligning with current public perception.
