22nd Century Group And KeyGene Achieve Breakthrough In Hemp/Cannabis GMO Research

22nd Century Group, Inc. XXII, and its global plant research partner KeyGene achieved a breakthrough in their research leading to the successful transformation of the hemp/cannabis plant genome using proprietary plant transformation, regeneration technology and clear protein expression by the introduced genes.

"I cannot emphasize enough what an enormous achievement it is for our company to have cracked the code to show proof of genome transformation in the hemp/cannabis plant. This is the holy grail in plant science and places us in a commanding leadership position in the race to secure patents and other valuable intellectual property in the emerging hemp/cannabis genetics field," stated James A. Mish, CEO of 22nd Century Group.

The plant transformation breakthrough enables the desired DNA sequences to be inserted directly into or created from a plant's existing genetic material, creating a more expedient and focused methodology to achieve the desired outcome.

In addition to its transformation capability, 22nd Century has exclusive access to a battery of gene-editing capabilities allowed for use in cannabis. Plant transformation is a process of inserting highly targeted DNA controlling desirable traits from one organism, typically another plant, into the genome of a high-value target crop. Using plant transformation in this way can improve commercially critical traits in hemp/cannabis such as cannabinoid content, yield, flavor and aroma, physical characteristics of the plant, disease resistance, stress tolerance and nutrient production.

Gene modification used extensively with other crops such as rice, soybeans and corn has led to a number of important commercial developments within those plant lines.

22nd Century completed the harvest of its first two disruptive hemp/cannabis plant lines in the fourth quarter of 2021, with additional new plant lines coming through the development pipeline for 2022 and 2023.