We all assumed nicotine biosynthesis was long elucidated, didn't we? :) Well, it wasn't but now it is thanks to this work led by @benschwabe.bsky.social @lichmanlab.bsky.social Learned about these results last summer, a pleasure to see the preprint out, congratulations! #natprod #PlantScience

The centuries old mystery of how tobacco plants make nicotine has a sweet solution: an additional glucose group is vital for the key pathway steps. Read more in our pre-print: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6.... Incredible work from @benschwabe.bsky.social and collaborators in York and Copenhagen.

Nicotine biosynthesis completed by cryptic activating glucosylation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.04.692101v1