Jan 6 • General discussion
Comprehensive Educational Course Content: Cannabis Tissue Culture
This ready-to-use content is designed for your educational course on cannabis tissue culture (micropropagation). It includes a suggested course outline with 8 modules, key learning objectives, detailed explanations, practical tips, and visuals for engagement. Feel free to adapt it for videos, slides, quizzes, or hands-on labs. The material is based on established protocols (e.g., MS or DKW media, meristem culture) and industry best practices as of 2026.
Course Overview
Title: Mastering Cannabis Tissue Culture: From Lab Basics to Commercial Scalability
Target Audience: Beginners to intermediate growers, cultivators, breeders, and industry professionals.
Duration: 8-12 weeks (self-paced or instructor-led).
Objectives: Understand the science, benefits, and hands-on techniques of tissue culture to produce disease-free, genetically consistent cannabis plants.
Prerequisites: Basic plant biology knowledge; access to a simple lab setup recommended for practical modules.
Module 1: Introduction to Tissue Culture in Cannabis
• Key Topics:
• What is tissue culture? (In vitro propagation using small explants in sterile media).
• History: From traditional cloning/seeds to modern micropropagation.
• Why cannabis? Addresses issues like Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd), genetic drift, and scalability.
• Benefits:
• Disease-free plants (eliminates viroids, viruses, pests).
• Genetic consistency (true-to-type clones with identical THC/CBD/terpene profiles).
• Space efficiency (thousands of plants from one explant in minimal space).
• Year-round production and strain preservation.
Module 2: Lab Setup and Sterile Techniques
• Essential Equipment:
• Laminar flow hood (for sterile work).
• Autoclave/pressure cooker (sterilization).
• Vessels (jars, tubes), scalpel, forceps, pH meter, growth shelves.
• Home setup cost: Under $500; commercial: $10k+.
• Sterility Best Practices:
• Work in a clean room; use 70% ethanol, bleach.
• PPE: Gloves, mask, lab coat.
• Common contamination sources: Bacteria, fungi, endophytes.
• Hands-On: Build a basic home lab.
Module 3: Explant Selection and Preparation
• Choosing Explants:
• Meristem tips (best for pathogen elimination).
• Nodal segments or shoot tips from healthy mother plants.
• Surface Sterilization Protocol:
1. Rinse in water.
2. 20% bleach + detergent (10-20 min).
3. Multiple sterile water rinses.
• Tip: Use young, vigorous growth for higher success rates.
Module 4: Media Preparation and Plant Growth Regulators
• Base Media: Murashige & Skoog (MS) or Driver-Kuniyuki Walnut (DKW) – common for cannabis.
• Key Additives:
• Cytokinins (e.g., BA, 2iP, mT) for shoot multiplication.
• Auxins (e.g., IAA, IBA) for rooting.
• Agar, sugars, vitamins.
• Recipes Example:
• Multiplication: MS + 1.0 mg/L 2iP.
• Rooting: ½ MS + low auxin.
• pH Adjustment: 5.7-5.8 before autoclaving.
Module 5: Stages of Micropropagation
• Stage 1: Initiation – Establish sterile explants.
• Stage 2: Multiplication – Proliferate shoots (5-10x per cycle).
• Stage 3: Rooting – Induce roots in hormone-adjusted media.
• Stage 4: Acclimation – Harden off in humidity domes, then soil.
Module 6: Troubleshooting and Optimization
• Common Issues:
• Contamination: Improve sterility.
• Hyperhydricity: Adjust humidity/light.
• Poor rooting: Test genotypes/hormones.
• Genotype Variability: Protocols may need tweaking per strain.
• Advanced: Photoautotrophic methods (no sugar in media).
Module 7: Commercial Applications and Future Trends
• Industry Impact: Scalable production, pathogen remediation, breeding new strains.
• Monetization: Sell clean clones, offer services, preserve genetics.
• 2026 Trends: Integration with CRISPR, automated labs, global export of clean stock.
Module 8: Practical Project and Certification
• Hands-On Assignment: Full protocol from explant to acclimated plant.
• Resources: Recommended papers (e.g., Lata et al. protocols), safety guidelines.
• Quiz/Exam: Theory + practical demonstration.
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Comprehensive Educational Course Content: Cannabis Tissue Culture
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