Shimadzu Scientific Instruments and Front Range Biosciences Partner to Establish a Hemp Science Center of Excellence

The Colorado-based center is poised to lead the industry in innovation, technology and discovery

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI) and Front Range Biosciences (FRB) announced today their partnership to establish a Hemp Science Center of Excellence. Through this collaborative research and education agreement, SSI will provide instrumentation to support FRB’s new analytical laboratory for hemp research and development.

The FRB Hemp Science Center of Excellence will focus on genetics, biobanking, breeding and analysis utilizing Shimadzu HPLC/UHPLC, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF MS instruments. Scientists at the new center will conduct chemical and genetic analytical research to support the development of new hemp varieties for the production of cannabinoids, terpenoids and other compounds for medical and wellness applications; lipid, wax and protein ingredients for food and cosmetics applications; and fiber for industrial applications.

Located at FRB’s new 39,000 square foot headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, the center will also foster collaborations with researchers from private and public sectors, including academic, non-profit and governmental agencies. FRB will work with Shimadzu to expand its existing academic collaborations with renowned institutions such as CU-Boulder, CU-Pueblo, UC-Davis, University of Vermont, University of Wisconsin and Cornell, allowing investigators at other institutions to apply for grants to support students, postdoctoral candidates and other researchers at the Center of Excellence. FRB and Shimadzu will work together to evaluate and accept applications for visiting research positions.

“Front Range Biosciences is honored to partner with the world class team at Shimadzu. Combining their innovative and proven cannabis (and hemp) analytical instrumentation solutions with our next generation breeding program, we will be well positioned to continue advancing the industry with data driven science so we can harness the incredible potential of this incredible plant for therapeutic, wellness, nutrition and industrial applications,” said Dr. Jonathan Vaught, CEO and Co-Founder of FRB. “We are confident that with Shimadzu’s cutting-edge technology, we will be able to drive forward thinking solutions in this growing industry so we can better serve farmers, producers and consumers.”

“Front Range Biosciences is a leader in plant genetics, and we are excited to support their cutting-edge work to advance hemp analysis and breeding science,” said Bob Clifford, Ph.D., General Manager of Marketing, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. “The new technology and methods developed at the Center of Excellence will accelerate the growth of this burgeoning industry by increasing and improving hemp-derived products, not only for oils and fiber, but also for health and wellness applications.”

Shimadzu's hemp testing solutions cover a broad range of applications, from accurate potency testing and terpene profiling to contaminate testing for pesticides, residual solvents, heavy metals and mycotoxins/aflatoxins.

For more information about SSI’s hemp testing solutions, click here. To learn more about Front Range Biosciences, visit www.frontrangebio.com.

About Front Range Biosciences

Front Range Biosciences is an agricultural biotechnology company that specializes in next generation plant breeding, plant tissue culture, cannabis, and hemp seed development to improve the reliability and quality of industrial hemp and medical cannabis plant genetics. FRB has global reach through facilities in Colorado, California and Wisconsin, and a partnership with the Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics in Barcelona, Spain. FRB's Clean Stock program provides a consistent supply of disease and pathogen-free plants and seeds to farmers backed by data-driven breeding solutions. FRB is headquartered in Lafayette, Colorado.