Blossom Introduces Innovative Platform to Develop Pharmaceutical-Grade Cannabis Strains

Blossom establishes platform for breeding of new pharmaceutical Cannabis strains.

Blossom is pleased to announce the successful establishment of capabilities for selective breeding in medical Cannabis. This development allows the generation and selection of segregating progeny, the creation of inbred lines and mapping populations, and the production of feminised seed. It marks a significant milestone in the Innovate UK-funded research conducted in strategic partnership with the James Hutton Institute.

Challenges in medical Cannabis breeding and research

Controlled pollination is a crucial step in the creation of novel plant varieties and lays the foundation for innovative genetic research. However, the dioecious nature of many Cannabis strains presents an additional challenge to plant breeders. Commercially favourable traits are often expressed in female plants, with selected parental lines not producing the pollen needed for crossing.

Identifying resilient solutions

By combining peer-reviewed research with historical knowledge from the Cannabis community, Blossom has developed a simple and effective method for obtaining viable pollen from genetically female Cannabis plants. The feminised pollen can be collected from fertile flowers for hand-pollination or used for self-pollination in situ. The method is non-invasive and non-cytotoxic to plants and can be applied reliably with limited staff training requirements.

Future aspirations

This research plays a major role in progressing molecular breeding solutions at Blossom, as the company aims to meet the evolving market demand for stable and novel cannabis genetics.

If you have any questions, ideas, or are interested in learning more about our groundbreaking approach to pharmaceutical-grade cannabis breeding, we'd love to hear from you.

📧 Email us: contact@blossompharma.com