Podcasts

Cannabis Breeding and Genetics with Dr Gavin George, Co-founder of Puregene AG

How can we get the most out of the cannabis plant?

Published

2 years ago

November 23, 2022

How can we get the most out of the cannabis plant?

On the latest episode of The Cannabis Conversation, we speak with Dr Gavin George, CEO of Puregene AG – a Swiss company specialising in genomics and predictive plant breeding.

We explore the potential of cannabis to produce hundreds of different products, including the challenges that come with it. We also explore the process of plant breeding, how much scope the cannabis plant has to evolve, and some of the new technologies needed to maximise this potential.

The Cannabis Conversation is sponsored by Lumino – a boutique HR and Recruitment Agency specialising in building high performance teams for the European Cannabis Industry. They work in three main verticals: Commercial, Medical and Plant Facing.

Get in touch at www.luminorecruit.com.

Dr Gavin George

Dr. Gavin George is a Cofounder of Puregene AG and previously held the position of Director of Research and Intellectual Property, before being appointed to CEO.

Dr. George was awarded a PhD in Plant Biotechnology in 2010 from the Institute for Plant Biotechnology at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

He subsequently worked for 7 years at the ETH Zurich as a Postdoctoral Researcher where he investigated the relationship between internal and external factors on plant growth.

He has authored 14 peer reviewed publications and contributed to 3 books.
His research was focused on the improvement of various crop species including sugarcane, tobacco, tomato, and potato as well as the creation of research devices for the detailed measurement of phenotypic traits.

As the Director of Research and IP at Puregene, he ensured that the high-throughput analytical, phenotyping, biochemistry and sequencing technology platforms optimally support the breeding activities and global intellectual property pipelines of Puregene.

As CEO he is focused on working with more international commercial partners and academic institutes for the development of new markets for cannabis and hemp genetics and the deployment of complete breeding programs.

Resources
Connect with Dr Gavin George on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/puregene-ag/
Puregene AG’s Website: www.puregene.com
Follow Dr Gavin on Instagram: @puregeneag
Follow Dr Gavin on Twitter: @puregene

About Anuj

I’m Anuj Desai – a lawyer and Head of Commercial Partnerships for Knowde Group – a life sciences CRO and strategic consultancy focused on plant based therapeutics and psychedelics

Please follow The Cannabis Conversation to keep up to date with news and insights from the industry, and get in touch at anuj@canverse.global to discuss how I can help your business move forward in the cannabis sector!

Going Global - Pioneering Cannabis Hospitality: A Conversation with Arend Richard

In this enlightening interview, Arend Richard, a seasoned entrepreneur from the cannabis industry, shares his journey from starting a YouTube channel to educate on cannabis use, to co-founding WeedTube, and developing a unique cannabis hospitality business. Born and raised in Colorado, Aaron discusses the evolution of his business ventures and his current project—creating a welcoming, educational environment for both seasoned and first-time cannabis users. He delves into the challenges of establishing a cannabis-friendly social space, including regulatory hurdles and community engagement, and highlights his vision for a new kind of social interaction centered around cannabis.