Embryo Irradiation

[Δ9-THC]

I was wondering if anyone has ever tried gamma irradiation of either seeds or undifferentiated calus to produce new cultivars of marijuana. I presume many people are opposed to such tactics, but there's a chance that it could over express the gene to produce THC or otherwise improve yield, taste etc. Any thoughts?

 

[SmokeRings]

The use of mutagens (both chemical and radiation) has allready been tried, its not really going anyplace fast. Its far better to develop a genetic profile of cannabis, then genetically engineer the appropriate genes for cannaboid production.

 

[przcvctm]

Aren't the vast majority of all mutations mal-adaptive?

 

[Δ9-THC]

Ya, I'm sure a large portion of the mutations are deleterious, but a few might not be.

I'm not quite knoweldgeable enough to find the gene responsible for THC introduction and transplant it into corn, but that'd be cool too! Haha. With RNA interference, you could even have an insect or something that will produce THC.

 

[fshwcrs]

Ya, I'm sure a large portion of the mutations are deleterious, but a few might not be.

I'm not quite knoweldgeable enough to find the gene responsible for THC introduction and transplant it into corn, but that'd be cool too! Haha. With RNA interference, you could even have an insect or something that will produce THC.

make flowers' nectar contain THC and you could get yourself some literal "honey oil!" No butane required

 

[Δ9-THC]

Haha, yup that would be possible. I'll have to get some seeds first.. and probably some gamma rays too.. and then I'll start messin around! haha.

 

[Elevator Man]

Reminds me of a thread I posted ages ago on radio-iodine treatment for thyroid problems:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=33234

I have to undergo this treatment as soon after Christmas as possible, and it will probably coincide with some cloning/seed germing - maybe I should tape a few seeds to my neck for the night? That will give them a pretty hefty dose, given I'm not allowed near children for a week at least. I'm not taking clones to bed with me though...

Not sure what rays are emitted from radio-iodine - I'll look it up!

 

[Elevator Man]

OK - radio-iodine, or I-131 , is primarily a beta-emitter:

"...that has a longer half-life (8 days) and can deliver large amounts of radiation to tumor cells with little damage to surrounding tissues. It is commonly used for radioactive ablation of benign overactive thyroid and of locally invasive or metastatic thyroid cancer."

Not sure whether beta particles can harm seeds, but I don't see why I shouldn't at least try it - all in the interests of science of course...

 

[Δ9-THC]

Heh. Interesting thought, but beta radiation is still only mildly penetrating, and I-131 is relatively low energy at that. In vivo use of the radio-isotope can still provide a large dose however.

I was thinking to build a cathode ray tube (x-ray tube.. essentially) to get enough radiation to actually mess with the DNA in the seed. This is a huge longshot to produce something desireable, but a challange at that. If I had to guess, the most likely outcome would be plants that don't produce sufficient chlorophyll, and show lots of antocyanin, and die shortly thereafter. haha.

 

[pipeline]

Why mutigenize? There is already wide variation.

It would be a lot of expensive work mutigenizing, screening, growing, and breeding out deleterious mutations while maintaining any new traits found through the mutations.

The magnitude of variation in cannabis is as wide within populations as it is between them.