Clever Leaves And Biopharma Research Co. Will Study DNA Sequencing Of Cannabis Under ‘Project Change Lives’ Initiative

Clever Leaves Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CLVR) will form a joint venture with specialty pharmaceutical company Biopharmaceutical Research Company (BRC) to study the DNA sequence variation of three Clever Leaves cannabis strains.

The new study is part of the company’s recently launched US-focused research initiative, Project Change Lives, under which the company will donate up to $ 25 million in retail medical cannabis products to each eligible US organization to help to advance scientific research into the potential medicinal benefits of cannabinoids.

The study details

The multinational cannabinoid operator found that the extraction and analysis of DNA to identify genetic variants from various genetic lines of Cannabis sativa is being led by the University of California, Davis, through a research grant from BRC. That makes

UC Davis is the first major research facility to participate in Project Change Lives in Clever Leaves’ pharmaceutical-grade study of Colombian and Portuguese cannabis.

As part of the project, Clever Leaves will supply BRC with three of its varieties for analysis in its facilities. In addition, UC Davis scientists will also test new ways to extract RNA from dried material and, if possible, analyze the data to quantify global gene expression.

The aim of the research is to lay a foundation for the future use of the genetic variation of cannabis sativa to create novel and unique medical marijuana for new pharmaceuticals.

“In addition, analysis of the completed data will reveal the correlation between certain genotypes of cannabis and the biochemical phenotypes for cannabinoids and terpenes,” the company stated.

Kyle Detwiler, CEO of Clever Leaves, said he and his company are honored to work with scientists at UC Davis.

“UC Davis consistently ranks as one of the best plant science programs in the world and shares our commitment to treating cannabis research with a deeper scientific rigor in order to broaden our understanding of the potentially life-saving applications of cannabinoid medicine,” said Detwiler. “We are delighted that UC Davis was the first US research institution to participate in Project Change Lives, and we look forward to expanding the initiative.”

The price action

Clever Leaves’ shares were trading 3.34% lower at $ 9.26 per share at the time of writing.

Photo: Courtesy CRYSTALWEED Cannabis on Unsplash

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