Creating a new way to produce high-quality cannabinoids for medical use
Official title: A microbial engineering platform for sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective production of pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids and related compounds
Funded at Cellibre INC · NIH-11090395 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new way to make high-quality cannabis products using tiny organisms, which could help create more affordable and accessible treatments for conditions like pain and addiction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cellibre INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | May 16, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $999,954 |
| NIH project number | 5R44AT012710-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11090395 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients suffering from conditions that may benefit from cannabinoid treatments, such as chronic pain, seizure disorders, or addiction.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have conditions that respond to cannabinoid therapies may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a microbial engineering platform to produce pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids and related compounds more sustainably and cost-effectively. By utilizing fermentation processes, the project aims to overcome the challenges associated with traditional cannabis cultivation, such as high resource consumption and variable yields. Patients can benefit from this innovative approach as it could lead to more accessible and affordable cannabinoid-based treatments for various conditions, including pain, addiction, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly lower the cost and improve the availability of cannabinoid-based therapies for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using microbial engineering for the production of cannabinoids, indicating a potential for success in this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Cellibre INC
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kambourakis, Spiros — Cellibre INC
- Study coordinator: Kambourakis, Spiros
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.