5 key requirements for unleashing innovation in the cannabis industry
Posted 21st February 2020 by Joshua Sewell
The cannabis industry faces a systemic problem where the legal nomenclature used to distinguish varietals of Cannabis Sativa is known to be unrelated to the genetic identity of the plant.1 Cannabis plants being bought and sold under any specific trade name can be genetically unrelated and may not even have a shared cultivation history.
11 ways to enable more UK patients to benefit from medicinal cannabis
Posted 14th February 2020 by Joshua Sewell
Medicinal cannabis was legalised in the UK in November 2018, yet there have been fewer than ten new prescriptions made through the NHS. Most of the prescriptions made have been private, and are financially out of reach for most patients, costing up to £2000 per month.
A Universal Genetic Switch for Increasing Plant Yields, Stress Tolerance and Perishable Product Shelf Life
Posted 12th February 2020 by Joshua Sewell
Food waste is a significant problem globally and contributes to huge agricultural losses. Roughly one-third of all food is wasted: 1.3 billion tons per year. It is no surprise that the UN has a Sustainable Development Goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.
Why are start-ups such hotbeds for innovation?
Posted 5th February 2020 by Joshua Sewell
This article is republished with kind permission from BioVox. This article was guest authored with Biovox by Willem Broekaert, from V-Bio Ventures.
Integrating new breeding technologies: a game changer for developing future crops
Posted 27th January 2020 by Liv Sewell
With an ever-increasing human population, predicted to be 10 billion people by 2050, studies estimate that we need to double the rate of genetic gain in our crop improvement programs globally to meet this demand. Dr Lee Hickey is a plant breeder and crop geneticist. He and his team are seeking to develop plant breeding tools that could help to enable this genetic gain.
The future of GMOs, gene editing and plant biotechnology in post-Brexit UK
Posted 10th January 2020 by Liv Sewell
Growing and selling genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is permitted in the UK but GMO products are subject to a lengthy and stringent EU authorization process. There are currently no GM crops grown commercially in the UK, but they are imported. So, what is the UK’s relationship with GM products, and where do we stand on gene editing? We spoke with Nigel Halford, Principal Research Scientist at Rothamsted Research, UK.
Sustainably Improving Crop Yield and Composition through Enhanced Photosynthesis
Posted 8th January 2020 by Joshua Sewell
Understandably, one of the main themes of the recent Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress: USA was how research and industry can enable farmers and plant growers to meet the growing challenges of global food security. In his presentation, Greg Bryan introduced us to ZeaKal, a photosynthesis company developing solutions for farmers.
Acrylamide, Plant Genomics and the Food Industry
Posted 30th December 2019 by Liv Sewell
Ahead of the 8th Plant Genomics and Gene Editing Congress, we asked keynote speaker Nigel Halford, Principal Research Scientist at Rothamsted Research, UK, to share with us the background to his research…