An　effective　processing　was　established　to　recover　protein　without　nicotine　from　tobacco　for　alternative　applications　as　the　foundation　for　tobacco　biorefinery.　Solanesol,　an　intermediate　compound　for　the　synthesis　of　coenzyme　Q10　(CoQ10)　and　vitamin　K　analogues,　was　recovered　from　tobacco　biomass,　an　agrowaste　generated　after　protein　separation.　CoQ　10,　a　potent　antioxidative　dietary　supplement,　was　produced　using　photosynthetic　Rhodospirillum　rubrum　ATCC　25852　by　submerged　fermentation　supplemented　with　tobacco　biomass　hydrolysate.　The　stimulation　effects　on　cell　growth　(shortened　lag　phase,　accelerated　exponential　growth,　and　elevated　final　cell　concentration)　and　CoQ10　production　(enhanced　specific　CoQ　10　content　per　unit　cell　weight)　could　be　attributed　to　the　solanesol　in　tobacco　biomass.　The　significance　of　the　present　study　is　twofold.　First,　solanesol　in　the　growth　medium　of　R.　rubrum　provided　the　cells　with　the　essential　intermediate　metabolites　that　could　act　like　preassembled　cassettes　to　be　quickly　configured　into　the　finished　product　(CoQ10).　The　ability　of　R.　rubrum　cells　to　accept　these　intermediate　metabolites　and　bypass　certain　metabolic　pathways　makes　R.　rubrum　an　ideal　candidate　for　CoQ10　bioproduction.　Secondly,　the　fermentation　process　could　be　further　optimized　if　the　respective　nutrient,　dissolved　oxygen,　and　light　requirements　for　R.　rubrum　cell　growth　and　CoQ10　production　could　be　clearly　elucidated.