UVA associate professor of chemical and biomedical engineering Bryan Berger is providing his expertise in hemp research to an industrial gases company.
Berger is collaborating with Air Products to study the benefits of cryogenic freezing on cannabinoids found in industrial hemp from the time of harvest through extraction and final processing, according to a company news release.
“Through this work with Air Products, the team anticipates studying cryogenic processing profiles that will address knowledge gaps and provide best practices to maximize value immediately transferrable to hemp growers and processors seeking to optimize their product yield,” Berger said in the release.
As part of the research, Berger will work closely with the cryogenic freezing technology lab at Air Products' headquarters in Pennsylvania to study the effects of using liquid cryogens such as liquid nitrogen on the quantification, chemical composition and profiles of cannabinoids found in hemp used in industrial and medical applications.
Berger and other industrial hemp researchers at UVA work with state, academic, private and non-profit partners to develop new approaches for processing hemp into products. He has experience in design, extraction, formulation and biomanufacturing of biologics and natural products. Berger and UVA Lewis & Clark Professor of Biology Michael P. Timko co-founded Fiacre Enterprises, which provides high-quality seeds and expertise to industrial hemp growers. He is also the co-founder of Lytos Technologies, a start-up developing biopesticides for organic agricultural.
Links to websites external to the University of Virginia should not be considered endorsement of those websites or any information contained therein.