CRAG and IRTA Expand International Partnership With Front Range Biosciences to Address Growing Threat of Hop Latent Viroid Disease in Cannabis
BARCELONA, Spain — The Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) and the Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (IRTA) have expanded their international technology agreement with U.S.-based company Front Range Biosciences (FRB) , a cannabis and hemp genetics platform company leveraging next-generation breeding technology. The agreement further builds on an existing partnership between FRB, CRAG, and IRTA formed in 2019 to develop research tools for the genetic improvement of cannabis plants adapted to the specific needs of cultivators in different climatic zones. With this new project, FRB expands the agreement by licensing its proprietary technology to include methodologies for detection of hop latent viroid disease (HLVd), a severe threat to the cannabis industry that can cause devastating reductions in plant growth, yield, and potency. These techniques add to the suite of already existing licensed technologies, including phytochemical quantification a...