Scientists already know a great deal about tobacco and how to prevent plant diseases and increase growth, according to Acuff. The plant also is easy to manipulate genetically. That means it can be used to produce enzymes and antibodies not already in the plant, said Dr. Maelor Davies, director of the Tobacco and Health Research Institute at the University of Kentucky. The research comes at a time when tobacco is increasingly under attack for causing cancer and illnesses. The federal government is pushing for tighter regulations and an agreement between states and cigarette companies to pay for costs of treating smoking-related illnesses.
Farmers worry they are being left out of the negotiations.
Sue Russell, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Tobacco Institute, said the industry group has not addressed research into alternative uses of tobacco plants. Dr. Lou Tornatzky, director of the Southern Technology Council in Raleigh, N.C., said far more money is needed for research before tobacco will be grown widely for something other than cigarettes. He said that if more research is paid for, growing tobacco for something other than cigarettes could possibly happen in 10 years. But he's not optimistic. It's going to happen elsewhere.