Keith Allen is the Director of Bioinformatics at Front Range Biosciences. Keith is tasked with exploring the cannabis genome to find genetic markers that can be selected in breeding projects. His current focus is on cannabinoid and terpene production, but as we discuss in our conversation, there are a number of different traits cannabis and hemp breeders will want to select for in the future, including yield, drought resistance, pathogen resistance, flowering time, heartiness for the outdoor environment, and more. The opportunity for improving the cannabis plant is only restricted by our understanding of the genome, which Keith readily admits, is still in its infancy. 



Keith will be presenting on “Gene Families and Gene Networks Underlying Oil Production in Cannabis Trichomes” at CannMed 2021 this Spring. So please do consider picking up your ticket for the event now. 



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Additional Resources



Front Range Biosciences WebsiteGenomic characterization of the complete terpene synthase gene family from Cannabis sativa