Aurora and UBC partner to cultivate fruit-flavored cannabis with $500,000 in funding.

According to industry media reports, the University of British Columbia (UBC) has received funding to assist Aurora in improving and cultivating cannabis varieties with a stronger fruity aroma.

The project is led by Dr. Jose Celedon, Chief Scientist of Breeding and Genetics at Aurora, and Dr. Joerg Bohlmann, Professor at UBC, focusing on validating the genes and chemical markers responsible for the aroma of cannabis.

Dr. Jose Celedon, Chief Scientist and Director of Breeding and Genetics at Aurora, stated that "Through this research, Aurora will deepen our understanding of cannabis genetics, with a primary focus on aroma as it is a key driver of consumer preference and can directly impact user experience."

"Through collaboration with UBC and funding from Genome BC, we are able to fully dedicate ourselves to this aroma research project without financial restrictions, while also exploring other important breeding traits such as yield, potency, and disease resistance. We look forward to the research results and their impact on the future of cannabis breeding."

It is reported that Aurora has been collaborating with researchers from UBC for years. In 2023, Aurora announced a partnership with a UBC researcher to cultivate a cannabis strain that is better suited for outdoor cultivation in Canada. In addition, the company's breeding program and cannabis breeding facility, Occo, are also collaborating with a UBC guest professor.

It is reported that Aurora has recently applied for patents for its range of marijuana genetics and chemical markers with fruit aromas, which were identified by its CanD diversity group.

This cannabis giant stated that the new cooperation will enable Aurora to utilize cutting-edge techniques to authenticate these markers, which typically require significant funding. The data from this research will support the discovery and launch of new cannabis strains with unique and improved aromas, as well as high yields and efficiency.

Aurora's tangible contributions to the project include sensory analysis of the fruity scent of cannabis and the utilization of internal software for bioinformatics analysis.

UBC is supported by Genome BC, a genomics company in British Columbia, to provide the project with transcriptome sequencing, analysis of volatile chemical properties, and functional characterization of fruit aroma genes in cannabis.

If the research is successful, Aurora hopes to apply the methods developed in this project to explore other types of fragrances, thus strengthening their own "fragrance-related intellectual property portfolio" for their listed cannabis business.

Genome BC, the Genome Sciences Centre in British Columbia, is a non-profit organization dedicated to genomics research and innovation for over 25 years. Genome BC has attracted over $1 billion in direct joint investment to the province, providing funding for more than 550 genomics research and innovation projects. In 2020, Genome BC announced a $4.3 million project aimed at developing a new strain of cannabis resistant to powdery mildew.

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