QAAFI received sativa seeds for a tissue culture program designed to enable high volume and pathogen-resistant plant cultivation for medicinal purposes
Asterion Cannabis Inc said Thursday its research partner had received sativa seeds for a tissue culture program designed to enable high volume and pathogen-resistant plant cultivation for medicinal purposes.
The Vancouver-based company said the seeds were received by the University of Queensland’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) last week.
QAAFI has begun the program, which is aiming to expedite clonal propagation of elite sections of marijuana plants to allow for high-volume and uniform plant cultivation. Clonal propagation is the multiplication of genetically identical copies of individual plants.
READ: Asterion Cannabis updates on milestones in bid to become world’s largest pharma-grade medicinal cannabis supplier
In a statement, Asterion CEO Steven Van Deventer told shareholders that the firm was pleased that all the required regulatory approvals were received and the seeds are now in QAAFI’s possession.
“Asterion appreciates the assistance received from QAAFI during the process of procuring the seeds,” Van Deventer added. “We are excited for the results of this program, which we will apply to advance Asterion’s cultivation process.”
The firm inked a collaborative research pact in March 2019 with the University of Queensland for an 18-month, 'proof-of-concept' program for the clonal propagation of cannabis plants.
Research will be conducted by QAAFI to establish a proprietary, genetically stable, repeatable, high yield tissue propagation procedure for a number of cannabis strains.
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