Research Areas

Mutation breeding is a powerful tool in crop improvement programs and has been well demonstrated to increase several secondary compounds such as the diosgenin content in fenugreek, morphine content in opium poppy, and the scopdamine yield in torn apple. Recent advances in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and plant breeding have led to a new discipline called “herbal genomics” which would assist in the modification of endogenous pathways to produce secondary metabolites in a heterologous system. The repertoire of bio-derived products will continue to grow and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated endonuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system will accelerate the production of new cultivars of hemp.  

By producing genetically identical disease-free clones VSPR aims to develop contracts with industrial hemp growers to provide clones all year round. The propagation of hemp is rapidly developing based on traditional tissue culture techniques.  The Curtis lab has developed propagation methodologies based on CO2 supplementation and lighting that allows for the removal of sugar to be removed from the media.  This approach will overcome one of the difficulties of hemp meristem propagation which is prone to contamination by both ectopic and endophytic microorganisms.  The application of these culturing systems will be undertaken to examine the effectiveness of these methodologies in overcoming cultivar-specific recalcitrance to typical hormonal treatments.  

One of the critical factors to reduce the yield of hemp phytochemicals in cannabinoid production is the ratio of male and female plants. Typically, commercial hemp seed has 10-40% males even in femininized seeds. Therefore, separating male and female plants at the early developmental stage is important due to the negative influence of male plants on the synthesis of secondary metabolites in the hemp field.  

This study aims to investigate the effect of grow medium (hydroponics) and different lighting options on plant biomass and secondary metabolite production in industrial hemp. Plants synthesize numerous carbon and nitrogen based complex secondary metabolites such as phenolics, alkaloids, terpenes, and fatty acids derivatives. The environmental factors play a critical role in increasing or decreasing their production through altered physiological and metabolic responses. Likewise, termination of vegetative meristems to floral meristems in influenced by growth regulators, photoperiod, and temperature (Rudrabhatla et al., U.S. Patent #8,399,255; 2013). The quality of light has also shown to influence yield, morphology, and secondary metabolite profiles (Bilodeau et al., 2019).  

This study is aimed at investigating the antitumorigenic and antimicrobial properties of extracts derived from different varieties of industrial hemp coupled with the treatment of plants with selenium. Selenium is generally considered highly toxic for plants; however, in minimal amounts, it can be a powerful regulator of biosynthetic pathways. In addition, selenium is a trace element known to be present in amino acids that provide antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer properties.  

Industrial activities have a detrimental impact on the environment and health when high concentrations of pollutants are released. Phytoremediation is a natural method of utilizing plants to remove contaminants from the soil. The goal of this study was to investigate the ability of Cannabis sativa L. to sustainably grow and remediate abandoned coal mine land soils in Pennsylvania. In this study, six different varieties of industrial hemp (Fedora 17, Felina 32, Ferimon, Futura 75, Santhica 27, and USO 31) were grown on two different contaminated soil types and two commercial soils (Miracle-Gro Potting Mix and PRO-MIX HP Mycorrhizae High Porosity Grower Mix).   

Hemp-derived products are used in the manufacturing of surgical devices and functionalized textiles due to their natural antibacterial properties. Implant-associated biofilm infections place an economic burden and are associated with high morbidity. The objectives of this study are to decipher dynamics of temperature and ABX and/or hABX, assess the thermal stability of standard of care ABX and/or hABX and determine maximum allowable temperatures without damage to adjacent tissues.  Hyperthermia has the potential to treat biofilms synergistically with antibiotics. The lab’s newly developed intraoperative radiofrequency alternating magnetic field prototype can generate heat on the surface (skin effect) of the metal implants.   

This project strategy utilizes industrial hemp fiber as a commodity to introduce improved farming practices. The study will leverage experience from numerous sources to implement CSAF that range from improved fertilizer/manure practices to extensive experience in Organic Farming (Hemp-Alternative LLC.), to the literature associated with GHG production of alternative fertilizers (REF) and a vision of local/rural economic development.   

Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, Dr. Rudrabhatla’s lab has demonstrated through Agroinfiltration (manuscript under-revision with Nature Scientific Reports, 2019), that the transient expression of the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene with a hairpin RNA cassette was reduced which resulted in an albino phenotype in the leaves and pollen sacs. This system is useful for gene silencing, overexpression, and is a rapid tool for gene expression analysis in hemp.