Front Range Biosciences partners with European researchers

LAFAYETTE — Front Range Biosciences, a biotech company that provides high-value crop producers with its Clean Stock plants, has partnered with Barcelona-based Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, or CRAG.

The breeding partnership will allow Lafayette-based FRB to leverage world-class research facilities from CRAG and advance its marker-assisted breeding platform in the development of new cannabis plant varieties and improved hemp cultivation.

CRAG is an independent organization established across a consortium of four major Spanish research institutions. Among them is the Institute for Agri-Food Research and Technology, whose researchers will be involved in the collaborative project with FRB. Scientific programs from CRAG include research into genomics, metabolic engineering and plant responses to stress, all of which is relevant to FRB’s goals of creating crops that keep their desired qualities in differing climates.

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“We are happy to establish our presence in Europe with the help of such an innovative and well-regarded organization,” Ray French, director of product development for FRB, said in a prepared statement. “As the United States enters the global hemp marketplace, the natural next step is for companies like FRB to adapt our products to the conditions and demands of foreign farms and agriculture. Partnerships with leading entities like CRAG are vital to developing crops that are internationally proven and created with methods informed by the best available worldwide knowledge.”

The partnership will include field trials, selective breeding and genomic research. The goal is to develop hemp plants that perform well in differing climates, resist disease and produce unique cannabinoid and terpene profiles. CRAG will share its infrastructure and expertise, and as FRB tests in this new environment, it will share the techniques it has developed.

“The partnership between FRB and CRAG leverages the complementary expertise and capabilities of both institutions to strengthen research and accelerate the development of innovative solutions for high-value crops,” José Luis Riechmann, director of CRAG, said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to a very productive collaboration with such a forward-looking company as FRB.”