Decoding Natural Hop Latent Viroid Tolerance with Ansley Burtch

Ben Amirault April 8, 2026Cultivation, Podcast

Ansley Burtch is a Post-Baccalaureate Scholar in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee. Her undergraduate and post-baccalaureate research focuses on plant-pathogen interactions using computational genomics and transcriptomic approaches. She has also investigated the production of toxins by fungi and their impacts on human health. At CannMed 26 she will present “Decoding Natural Viroid Tolerance: …

Gene Editing & Genetic Engineering in Cannabis & Hemp with Michael Petersen

Ben Amirault April 2, 2025Cultivation, Podcast

Michael Petersen has over 38 years of experience as a researcher and mentor in both the private and public plant biotech space. He has over 50 issued patents and his work in plant transformation and gene expression is a passion. Mike has worked on many genetic engineering/editing contracts with entities across the globe, and he now focuses on innovative hemp …

Analyzing Cannabis Gene Expression with Kevelin Barbosa-Xavier

Ben Amirault November 13, 2024Cultivation, Podcast

Kevelin Barbosa-Xavier is a PhD student in Plant Biotechnology at Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) where she conducts research under the supervision of Thiago Motta Venancio. She is a computational biologist, investigating the genes and gene networks involved in plant secondary metabolic pathways and fiber production, specifically in the Cannabis sativa species. Kevelin and her team recently published a study …

Breeding Techniques to Create Unique Genetics with Justin Esquivel

Ben Amirault September 18, 2024Cultivation, Podcast

Justin Esquivel is CEO & Geneticist, Green Luster Phenos™ and has been an influencer and leader in the cannabis industry for 15 years. Esquivel was the head grower and geneticist of an indoor commercial-scale cultivation operation back in 2012. Justin has consulted with over 100 cannabis facilities, 72 of which operate commercial canopies. Esquivel provides home growers with pest and …