BioHarvest Sciences expects to commercialize its first cannabis-based products in first half of 2022

BioHarvest Sciences Inc (CSE:BHSC) reports that it has successfully performed certain critical tasks necessary for the completion of its cannabis development program. 

The company said it has been adapting its unique and proprietary BioFarming technology — which enables the production of cannabinoids without growing the cannabis plant itself. 

The company noted that, as a result, no other company has been able to grow cannabis trichomes in liquid media. 

READ: BioHarvest Sciences launches direct-to-consumer sales of its flagship product VINIA in the US via its website

BioHarvest said it expects to commercialize its first cannabis-based products in the first half of 2022.

“While other academic institutions have spent significant time and resources in this endeavor, none have been able to accomplish this major milestone, which is critical for utilizing biotech processes to produce cannabis at industrial scale,” BioHarvest said in a statement.

In February, BioHarvest announced its unique scientific ability to optimize the production of trichomes in liquid media, as the trichome is the micro-factory that produces cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes.

And since then, the company said it has achieved a number of significant milestones including:

Measurement methods

BioHarvest has developed the required baseline scientific measurement methods to be able to evaluate the level of cannabinoids in its unique composition of cells with trichomes. There is no known industry standard in this regard, and given that BioHarvest’s contribution is both novel and pioneering in this specific field, it has had to develop its own measurement methods.

The company said it will utilize this knowledge throughout the development process to measure the cannabinoid levels in the trichomes and the overall cell biomass.

Nature of trichomes

BioHarvest has been able to develop a unique configuration of cells with trichomes which it calls “Bio-Tricho-Bubbles” and is similar in appearance to what is called Ice Hash or Bubble Hash, which results from the mechanical separation of glandular trichome heads from raw cannabis flowers. 

BioHarvest’s “Bio-Tricho-Bubbles” are similar in shape to Ice Hash/Bubble Hash but do not require a major mechanical process to separate out the glandular trichome heads from raw cannabis flowers. Its ”Bio-Tricho-Bubbles” feature trichomes at a higher density than that of regular trichomes on a cannabis plant.

Bioreactors 

In parallel with continuing the commercialization process, and with its newly developed measurement methods, the company said its R&D team is heavily focused on optimizing the cannabinoid levels in their unique “Bio-Tricho-Bubbles.” For that purpose, a significant quantity of dedicated bioreactors is already in use producing cannabinoids — currently the highest priority of the R&D team.

Drying

Due to the unique “Bio-Tricho-Bubbles” composition of the BioHarvest cells with trichomes, the company said it has commenced optimizing the drying process of these unique “Bio-Tricho-Bubbles” to minimize any potential damage to the trichome during the drying process.

“We continue to make steady progress towards achieving our goals in the cannabis vertical of the company,” said Ilan Sobel, CEO of BioHarvest, in a statement.

“We keep making history with our scientific and technological achievements in the area of plant-based cell growth. We try to communicate such achievements as frequently as possible, so as to reinforce the confidence of our shareholders. We understand the desire of the investment community to have such updates and we are consistently trying to maintain a balance between information disclosure and potential competitive impact.”

The company meanwhile is hosting a shareholder update conference via Zoom on July 8 at 2 pm ET.

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Story by ProactiveInvestors