Meet Pink Pepper: The Cannabis Cultivar With With The Most Complete Genome
… Not to Mention A Stunning Color!
While we know that dozens of cannabis strains are created every year, not all of them will garner attention at a level so viral that you can’t help but stop what you’re doing to learn about it. The next thing you want to do is get your hands on it.
That’s exactly what the Pink Pepper cannabis strain is.
Pink Pepper is a one-of-a-kind marijuana strain developed by Professor Jung Dae Lim, together with his colleagues from the Kangwon National University in South Korea. The Institute of Cannabis Research worked together with Professor Lim and his team, as well as the Korean Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation. Together, they mapped out the genome sequence, resulting in a unique cannabis DNA strain that is 99,6% complete, with more than 30,000 marijuana genes and 770 million DNA base pairs – a mammoth feat that no other cannabis cultivator has ever achieved.
About Pink Pepper
If you were hoping to get high off a breakthrough cannabis strain, I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Pink Pepper was bred to be high in cannabidiol (CBD), and low in psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The scientists utilized 26 different hemp varieties to breed this strain, which unintentionally yielded a vibrant color, which can range from a fuchsia pink to a deep plum.
Pink Pepper has a significant medical as well as research application; since it possesses a complete genome, future breeders and researchers will be able to use this as a blueprint for breeding other strains. In addition, it’s a fantastic example for researchers who want to study gene expression, terpene biosynthesis, cannabinoids, and the influence of environmental factors on the plant. All of these are critical for coming up with new cannabis products.
Additionally, Pink Pepper is a strain created with high-quality genomes for referencing. This means that marijuana breeders will be able to create strains with reliable, predictable results that possess a higher resilience to stressors. And since the genome is publicly available, there’s no need to worry about accessing it. Everyone can benefit from the transparency that helps improve collaboration in the marijuana industry.
“Pink Pepper, a new CBD-rich variety, features a fully sequenced genome, serving as an invaluable resource for cannabis breeding, CBD production, and understanding the genetic regulation of key agricultural traits, including cannabinoid and terpene production,” says Dr. Sang Park, the lead plant molecular scientist at the Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) in a press release. “This pioneering variety sets a benchmark for cannabis genetics and genomics, offering a vital reference for studying cannabis evolution and driving advancements in genomic research,” he said.
Why The Sequencing Is A Ground-Breaking Discovery
Considering how long breeders and scientists have been working on cannabis genome sequencing, and given that we’ve only arrived at a clean blueprint today, it truly is no walk in the park.
The first notable genome map was published back in 2011, thanks to the Purple Kush strain. Despite that, the map had major gaps in it. There were other maps that followed but no one was able to come up with the same kind of resolution that was required for large-scale breeding.
However, the doctors, scientists, and researchers responsible for developing Pink Pepper were successful in achieving this because they used three advanced genome sequencing methods, resulting in 17 chromosomal scaffolds in the final strain. “Such assemblies create confusion for data users in distinguishing between real genome differences and assembly errors,” explained Kangwon in the study. “Our assembly demonstrated the highest complete BUSCO scores among the reported cannabis genomes,” he said. In layman’s terms, the BUSCO (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs) is the gold standard for evaluating how complete a genome is; this is a massive victory! The production of Pink Pepper now provides scientists with a foundational map that can be used in continuity for analyzing gene expression in an accurate level. It will also enable scientists to study, with more efficiency than ever.
“This is truly groundbreaking work,” adds Chad Kinney, the ICR’s executive director. “This new cannabis variety represents a significant advancement in cannabis genomics and sets a new standard for gaining insights and driving new advancements in cannabinoid research, primarily for medicinal uses,” he says.
According to Park, cannabis growers who are interested to purchase the strain must first complete an application. Kangwon will soon launch a company called Pink Pepper Biotech, a brand-new company focused on hemp seeds and genetics.
Conclusion
Genetics are the foundation of marijuana. It is only through genetics that we can understand the physical and chemical traits of a plant at a molecular level, and manipulate its effects, quality, aroma, medicinal benefits, potency, flavor, and so much more.
That said, the launch of Pink Pepper is nothing short of exciting news. After all, cannabis genome research plays such an important role in the development of cannabis products. Better genome mapping helps promote accurate breeding and improves product consistency, which lead to an expansion in medicinal and industrial applications.
We need more cannabis genome research such as this because it lays out the foundation for breeding programs and engineering of cannabinoid profiles. These are critical for helping develop and create new therapeutic compounds that can go a long way in treating the sick, but the applications in the medical, recreational, and industrial markets are endless.
CANNABIS STRAINS, PHEONTYPES, OR CULTIVAR? READ ON..
