PUREGENE AG
Farming the Future with Trait-Based Cannabis

Recent scientific breakthroughs in the world of cannabis have driven farmers to cultivate the plant for more than the market’s recreational and pharmaceutical needs. Cosmetic, construction, and automobile industries have found applications for the plant as a sustainable resource. Recent developments have led to a sharp increase in demand, compelling farmers to seek cutting-edge breeding processes and agriculture technology to produce economical and high-quality yields. However, the harvest may lack the cost effectiveness or qualities that benefit the unique requirements of these industries. Puregene, a Swiss based plant breeding company, assists farmers and businesses in utilizing the plant for various purposes via trait based cannabis breeding.

Puregene leverages data-driven molecular breeding processes borne of extensive genome research to develop several varieties of cannabis according to each client’s specific needs. The company’s highly-trained researchers employ genomic and phenotypic data that studies the productivity, chemical makeup, and stability of cannabis for application in medicinal and industrial settings. Through the many insights and results obtained with the cannabis industry’s first-ever pan genomic reference sequence, the biotech company created 350 traits that are applied to the breeding process. The common data set is stacked in Puregene’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to become building blocks of the process. These technological tools aid researchers in reassembling the cannabis DNA genome, producing trait-specific plant varieties.

The genomic prediction algorithms designed by Puregene’s seasoned bioinformaticians can predict the performance of newly cultivated strains of the plant, granting access to a richer data set to reference.

The biotech company’s researchers can then increase their efficiency in resequencing cannabis traits, ensuring that the created variety delivers the desired results.

“To develop products using cannabis, today’s businesses demand stability in its harvesting. This is made possible with our molecular breeding processes, transforming the plant’s global landscape and boosting economies everywhere,” says Dr. Gavin George, Cofounder and CEO of Puregene AG.

The company has worked with Swiss and Canadian farmers, a Mexican cosmetic brand, and an automobile enterprise to create cannabis varieties with specified levels of THC that also suit their respective environments. Practicing industry gold standard phytosanitary techniques to maintain healthy plants, Puregene assures the highest standards of varieties through its quality control system.

There is no limit to the number of variants that can be developed when working with genomics. Puregene’s ML algorithms have enabled predictive breeding, making it easier and faster to implement the breeding program and cultivate new strains.

Proving Puregene’s expertise in developing trait-specific cannabis, Dr. George shares the story of how it helped a local Swiss farmer by creating a new variety as per their requirements. The client wanted to cultivate a variant for the low-THC market in collaboration with its sister company. However, the quality harvest failed to generate the expected revenue. After Puregene analyzed the situation, the biotech company employed its molecular breeding processes and ML algorithms to develop a new strain of cannabis that performed better, resulting in a 60 percent increase in the new yield’s final sale price.

Puregene ensures that championing cannabis and its utilization as an environmentally friendly alternative will bring great benefits to many industries, and the ecology at large. Through its revolutionary plant breeding processes, the biotech company aims to help positively impact agriculture technology advancement on a global scale.