Biortica Agrimed has announced a research collaboration between Canadian subsidiary Apollo Green and Quebec’s Université Laval exploring how multi-omics and Artificial Intelligence can transform cannabis cultivation.

Backed by Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the project aims to address the practical challenges of cultivation and improve outcomes for growers and patients.

Tom Varga

Biortica CEO Tom Varga said the collaboration, which is scheduled to run until 2029, will explore how multi-omics and AI can refine the genetic selection process.

He added: “This project has the potential to help cultivators grow stronger, more resilient plants, and patients benefit from consistent quality and potency.”

Titled “Advancing Cannabis Cultivation Through an Intelligent Multi-omics Breeding Program”, the research project is Biortica’s first international collaboration.

It will utilise Apollo Green’s genetics library to focus on three key areas – stronger and healthier plants, adaptable strains and medical precision.

Project lead, Matt Turner, anticipates it will lead to the development of cultivars with improved resistance to pests, diseases, and environmental stress, thereby reducing the risks for growers.

He added: “We’ll be looking for plants that perform well across diverse climates and cultivation systems, supporting sustainable farming practices in Australia and globally.

“And using DNA-guided breeding to produce strains with specific cannabinoid and terpene profiles designed to meet the needs of medical cannabis patients – so more accurate and more targeted medicines.”

Prior to launching Cannabiz, Martin was co-founder and CEO of Asia-Pac’s leading B2B media and marketing information brand Mumbrella, overseeing its sale to Diversified Communications in 2017. A journalist...

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