Cannabis can be used in the treatment of numerous conditions, from epilepsy to alleviating the side effects of cancer therapies, but the full extent of the plant’s medicinal benefits remain largely unexplored. A new research initiative hopes to address this by mapping the cannabis genome in a quest to unlock the full potential of pot.
Scientists at the University of California, Davis, partnered with biotech firm Front Range Biosciences (FRB) to conduct the genomics research to “advance understanding of cannabis for medical and nutraceutical uses.”
The research team at UC Davis has previously mapped the genomes of the cabernet sauvignon grape and the arabica coffee bean and now wants to focus on the hemp plant because of its commercial potential.
“We have successfully applied cutting-edge DNA sequencing technologies and computational approaches to study challenging genomes of diverse crops and associated microorganisms,” said Dario Cantu, an assistant professor in the department of viticulture and enology at UC Davis.
“We are now excited to have the opportunity to study the genome of hemp. Decoding the genome will allow us to gain new insight into the genetic bases of complex pathways of secondary metabolism in plants.”
Read More: Weed Science: Researchers Map Marijuana DNA to Unlock Cannabis's Full Potential