** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** INDUSTRIAL CULTIVATION OF HEMP (CANNABIS SATIVA L.) IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A SUBSTANTIVE EXPANSION IN THE US, BROUGHT ON BY FEDERAL LEGAL CHANGES AND PUBLIC DEMAND FOR NEWLY DISCOVERED USES OF ITS PRODUCTS, PARTICULARLY CANNABINOIDS. CANNABINOIDS HAVE INCREASINGLY SIGNIFICANT PHARMACEUTICAL RELEVANCE; THEY HAVE THERAPEUTIC USES AS PAIN MEDICATION, ALLEVIATING MENTAL DISORDERS, AND CANCER TREATMENT. HOWEVER, DUE TO PREVIOUS RESTRICTIONS TO CANNABIS RESEARCH, RELATIVELY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE REGULATION OF THE BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS FOR CANNABINOID PRODUCTION. IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PROCESSES WILL ALLOW FOR BETTER SELECTION FOR, OR MODIFICATION OF, PLANTS WITH PARTICULAR CANNABINOID CONTENT. THIS COULD INCREASE PROFIT AND REDUCE RISK FOR GROWERS AS WELL AS ADVANCE FURTHER USE OF CANNABINOIDS IN MEDICAL TREATMENTS.THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE REGULATION OF THE CANNABINOID BIOSYNTHETIC NETWORK IN INDUSTRIAL HEMP. THE OBJECTIVES TOATTAIN THIS GOAL ARE: 1. TO MAP THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FACTORS THAT TURN ON OR OFF THE GENES FOR THE ENZYMES IN THE CANNABINOID SYNTHESIS PATHWAY, 2. TO MEASURE THE EFFECT OF MANIPULATING THESE FACTORS ON THE LEVELS OF DIFFERENT CANNABINOIDS IN CANNABIS CELLS, 3. TO ENGINEER HEMP PLANTS WITH MODIFIED CANNABINOID PROFILES. THESE OBJECTIVES WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES FOR GENETIC MODIFICATION AS WELL AS BIOINFORMATIC AND METABOLIC ANALYSES. THE RESULTS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO DEVELOPMENT OF VARIETIES THAT HELP CREATE OR MEET EMERGING AND FUTURE MARKETS AND WILL CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS LONG-TERM DEMAND FOR NEW AGRICULTURALLY-BASED INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS, SPECIFICALLY CHEMICALS OF PHARMACEUTICAL RELEVANCE.