BioHarvest Sciences Successfully Completes Large Scale Cannabis Biofarming Program

BioHarvest Sciences has announced another breakthrough in producing the active and beneficial ingredients of cannabis without growing actual plants.

The cannabis of the future may not come from the earth but from breakthrough plant cell “biofarming” technology. BioHarvest Sciences of Rehovot, Israel is a pioneer in cannabis biofarming, announcing in 2021 that it had produced full-spectrum cannabis biomass without growing the plant itself.

The company this month announced that it has completed the next phase of its cannabis R&D program, successfully producing cannabis biomass in large-scale industrial bioreactors.

BioHarvest Sciences’ patented bio-cell growth platform technology, which it calls Bio-Plant CELLicitation, is capable of growing the active and beneficial ingredients in fruit and plants without the need to cultivate plants. The technology is intended to provide cost and crop consistency advantages to cannabis producers, as well as offsetting some of the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional agriculture, according to the company.

“Our unprecedented achievements present a great opportunity for the cannabis industry. Consistent, clean and efficacious cannabis that is produced with the highest ESG credentials and capital efficiency with significantly lower manufacturing costs is the revolution this industry needs to gain further market traction and trust by the regulators worldwide,” BioHarvest Sciences CEO Ilan Sobel said.

The full-spectrum biomass created through CELLicitation promises to offer cannabis product that doesn’t use genetic modification or require pesticides to produce, while maintaining unique plant-based metabolites, such as polyphenols, antioxidants, cannabinoids, terpenes and psychoactive molecules.

The bioreactor-produced trichomes—the mini-factories inside the cannabis plant that produce cannabinoids—begin with original, natural cannabis plant cells. The desired plant cells for growth are selected and inserted into a petri dish containing a nutrient-rich solid medium. The cells grow under controlled conditions of optimum oxygen, lighting and temperature levels, according to BioHarvest Sciences.

The Israeli company’s efficient, sustainable technique produces the very same cannabinoid-rich trichomes found in grown cannabis biomass, but with a 100-200x greater trichcome density.

“The [BioHarvest Sciences] R&D team has relentlessly pursued this moment, which marks a new era for the cannabis industry. Our proprietary and unique amalgamated trichome structure has proven resistant to shear forces applied during the cell growth process in liquid media and it will demonstrate more advantages when it comes to the medicinal application of our products,” CTO Dr. Yochi Hagay said.

BioHarvest Sciences is currently focused on nutraceuticals and the medicinal cannabis markets. The company plans to bring its first cannabis products to market in 2022. It will be converting its current facility in Israel producing VINIA, a proprietary red grape cell product containing the entire matrix of polyphenols contained in red grapes, to produce cannabis. Marking the start of the transition to commercial scale manufacturing, BioHarvest Sciences is seeking a production license in Israel for its cannabis products.