R&D Project #1

Investigation of Cannabis Tissue Culture Medium

Project Description

This three-year project aims to innovate the cannabis industry by developing optimized media formulations and transformation protocols to produce high-value cannabis plants with superior traits. Leveraging advanced tissue culture techniques, our team is experimenting with diverse cannabis genotypes to engineer media formulations uniquely tailored for cannabis. These formulations are designed to enhance plant growth and resilience, enabling the propagation of pathogen-free, genetically robust plants that demonstrate increased yield and potency compared to traditional clone-based cultivation methods.

Throughout the project, our scientific team will closely monitor the flowering and yield of rooted clones derived from tissue culture. This careful evaluation will validate whether the plants achieve or surpass the yield and potency levels expected from standard propagation methods. A critical project milestone is to establish a pioneering genetic transformation protocol, focusing on callus and/or protoplast regeneration optimization. This transformation process is designed to improve critical quality traits such as pathogen resistance, crop yield, and overall plant health, setting a new standard for cannabis cultivation.

Project Purpose and Resources

The project’s mission is to build a proprietary catalog of premium, pathogen-resistant cannabis strains that offer genetic resilience and high sterility through innovative tissue culture propagation. By providing cannabis producers with virus-free, genetically enhanced plants, we aim to help our clients reduce cultivation costs while achieving higher crop yields. This work not only strengthens the cannabis industry but also generates valuable intellectual property (IP) that can drive market innovations through strategic research initiatives and partnerships.

Intellectual Property (IP): Establishing IP for unique, optimized tissue culture media and genetic transformation protocols in cannabis.

Societal and Economic Impact: Contributing to a more sustainable and profitable cannabis industry by delivering healthier, more productive plants.

Industrial Relevance: Enhancing plant quality traits such as yield, resilience, and pathogen resistance for high commercial demand.

Project Team

Project Manager and Lead Scientist: Dr. Surender Khatodia, Chief Tissue Culture Scientist at Klonetics, brings over 15 years of experience in plant tissue culture, including extensive work in cannabis micropropagation for high-quality, pathogen-free clones.

Collaborating Scientist: Dr. Pankaj Bhowmik, a research partner whose expertise will support the project’s genetic transformation and optimization efforts.

Institutional Partner: National Research Council Canada (NRC), Saskatoon – collaborating to advance research and validate the commercial viability of developed protocols.

Funding Partner: NRC-IRAP, a funding source committed to supporting innovation in cannabis tissue culture and genetic transformation.

Research and Development Team – Klonetics Science Team

Dr. Surender Khatodia
Position: Chief Tissue Culture Scientist at Klonetics
Faculty Experience: Assistant Professor of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, India (2014–2017)
Academic Credentials:

B.Sc. Biotechnology, KUK, India (2007)

M.Sc. Hons. Biotechnology, Panjab University, India (2009)

Ph.D. Biotechnology & Molecular Biology, CCS HAU, India (2014)

Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Saskatchewan, Canada (2017)

Background
Dr. Khatodia’s expertise spans 15 years of plant tissue culture and genomics, focusing on innovative techniques for cannabis micropropagation. His achievements include groundbreaking pathogen eradication methods for clean cannabis clone production, genetic testing, and germplasm conservation of top cannabis strains. His work with NRC-IRAP has led to establishing advanced cannabis analytical testing labs for cannabinoids, microbial safety, and genetic profiling.

Dr. Khatodia’s passion for plant science was sparked by his work on hairy root cultures of medicinal plants for secondary metabolite enhancement. His Ph.D. research pioneered the development of transgenic Bt chickpea plants, and his teaching and research contributions have extended across plant sciences and biotechnological applications in crop improvement. His academic and professional journey encompasses advanced techniques in tissue culture, molecular biology, and genome editing, showcased through multiple scientific publications and co-edited volumes.

Selected Publications
For more on Dr. Khatodia’s contributions to cannabis research, refer to his publication in the Journal of Cannabis Research:
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-020-00036-y

This project represents an ambitious step forward in the development of resilient, high-yield cannabis plants through advanced tissue culture and genetic transformation techniques. By focusing on pathogen resistance and quality enhancement, we aim to redefine standards in cannabis propagation and cultivation, ensuring that producers can access genetically superior, clean plants that align with the industry's demand for quality and sustainability.