'When I grew up, tobacco was something you smoked or chewed or dipped.'.

• Position: REGIONALREPORT Triangle

-- Gov. Beverly Perdue at the opening of Medicago USA Inc 's headquarters and production plant in Research Triangle Park Nov. 14.

The subsidiary of Canada's Medicago Inc. will produce pandemic and seasonal flu vaccines using tobacco plants, which is cheaper and faster than using chicken eggs, the norm. That appeals to the Department of Defense agency that supports technology to respond to biowarfare and similar disasters. It's investing $21 million in the project. To get the money Medicago must make 10 million doses of pandemic flu vaccine within 30 days, beginning Jan...