determine the sex by genetics

[thegenemaster]

Hi all, this is my first post. I'm actually a scientist. I currently do cancer research but I had been a plant molecular geneticist at one point. I started growing a couple years back and wondered if it would be possible to determine the sex of a plant simply by looking at the genes. In this way you could identify males and females as very small seedlings. Bottom line is I have done it. I use a marker to screen my plants and separate out the males.

I developed this technique just for my own purposes but now have been told that people would pay for this service. It has been tried on over fifty varieties and identifies the males in everyone tried to this point. I guarantee it works. Please give me some feed back on this. Thanks!

 

[ORECAL]

I think this would be awesome...... what's the technique?

 

[thegenemaster]

method called SCAR
(sequence-characterized amplified region). But now that I have the marker I use a simple method of PCR amplification to see if the plant contains the male marker or not. I use a small piece of the cotyledon or first leaf to extract the DNA then run a PCR reaction using small sequences of DNA called primers that will amplify the marker if it is present. The reactions are run out on an agarose gel and if the band appears its a male if not its a female.

 

[ORECAL]

so how much would it cost to do this? sounds expensive and time consuming..... It's not something that sounds like it could be done at home by the average grower.

 

[thegenemaster]

No not the average grower can do it. I have the equipment to do it here at my house. I do other genetic analysis as well. I would have to have people send me tiny pieces of young leaf and I can do the analysis for around $10/plant. Price could go down if the volume request was significant enough. I'd send clients a picture of the results along with my analysis.

 

[ORECAL]

sounds risky, sending pieces of plant to someone, and trusting them to send you back results (that aren't bullshit, not that you would send bullshit), and trusting that person (whom you've never met) to not be a cop looking for morons to send him part of their highly illegal plant in hopes of finding out the sex of the plant a little bit earlier than if they just flowered them........

I'm not saying you have a bad idea, cause the idea is actually very good, depending on where you are located, I would go to dispensaries and pitch it to them, but most of them have the space and resources to just clone from a known female. I like your idea a lot, but with pot's legal status, if you got anyone to send you part of their plant, they are fucking idiots.

 

[thegenemaster]

I also have card as does my wife. Got the idea to offer the service to others from my local hydostore owner. He was very excited about it and I went out and made up business cards. I guess its best to go to hydrostores at this point. My thoughts on dispensaries is the same as yours. As far people trusting you I don't know. I can show people scientific journals that verify the concept. But how does anyone know if they submit for their own genetic test to some lab that the results aren't bogus? I'll send clients a picture of the gel. Not sure what else I can do?

 

[ORECAL]

no no no..... your missing it..... I'm talking about trusting the fact that their doors aren't gunna be getting busted down because they are sending a plant (a highly illegal one) to a stranger. most would trust the results, but not many would trust YOU. I know I'm very skeptical, but remember, for people who don't live in a medi state, what we are doing is very risky, I for one (although very interested) would never even consider sending part of my plant to anyone, for any reason.

I think sticking with the hydro stores and such would absolutely be the best option at this point, at least until the legal status of the plant changes. you've got a great concept, and at $10, I'd absolutely do it if I lived in a medi state and had a card.

 

[thegenemaster]

Hmmm guess I didn't think people would think I was a cop but I guess that makes sense that people would be weary. I assure you I am simply a fellow grower that happens to be a molecular geneticist as well. As I said I developed this because I could and was really sick and tired of investing time energy and particularly space into a plant I was going to pitch. Although now I generally keep a male of each strain for breeding and separate it out.

I have considered sending clients special sample bags and a small amount of plant DNA extraction buffer as a kit along with a dropper. In this way they could send me sample crushed up in a small amount of buffer and thus now not actually be sending me plant material. What do you think?

 

[gangjababy]

people can send the sample, but you can post the results online so the senders can remain anonymous...

 

[thegenemaster]

Like I said I was pretty excited that I could do this and really thought alot of people would get use out of this. It works beautifully every time.

 

[ORECAL]

people can send the sample, but you can post the results online so the senders can remain anonymous...

this is a great idea!!!!

Hmmm guess I didn't think people would think I was a cop but I guess that makes sense that people would be weary. I assure you I am simply a fellow grower that happens to be a molecular geneticist as well. As I said I developed this because I could and was really sick and tired of investing time energy and particularly space into a plant I was going to pitch. Although now I generally keep a male of each strain for breeding and separate it out.

I have considered sending clients special sample bags and a small amount of plant DNA extraction buffer as a kit along with a dropper. In this way they could send me sample crushed up in a small amount of buffer and thus now not actually be sending me plant material. What do you think?

This would be a good idea.especially if you combined people sending you crushed up material, and then posting the results online..... that way people don't have to give out their address or name...... any way that you can make it safer for the customer, the better chance you have of getting this idea off the ground.

 

[kochab]

people can send the sample, but you can post the results online so the senders can remain anonymous...

sounds like a great service and all but the simple fact is that he is wanting to make this into a business it seems. Rollitup.org is not going to bring him that much business.

 

[thegenemaster]

I just thought I could make a few extra bucks and I like doing and I have all the stuff to do this out of my garage. As I said I'm a cancer research scientist, not ready to quit my day job just yet. Guess at this point the hydrostores are still the best place to go. My wife thinks I nuts and no one will pay for this service and thinks I'm wasting my time. I'd sure like to prove her wrong...LOL.

 

[ORECAL]

sounds like a great service and all but the simple fact is that he is wanting to make this into a business it seems. Rollitup.org is not going to bring him that much business.

totally agree........ the people of rollitup will probably not go for it, but the guy has a right to make money off the service....... I think he should go for it.

 

[fdd2blk]

is this spam?

 

[ORECAL]

is this spam?

sort of....... I think he's more or less just asking if people would pay for it, and if it's a good idea to try and make money off it...... it's spam in the sense that people are learning about the service, but the service really isn't there just yet.

 

[thegenemaster]

I honestly had no idea(and still don't have much of an idea) where to go with this. I would like to make few extra bucks and like I said I would like to help other people in their growing efforts. Please please send me any suggestions to try and get this off the ground. I have never done anything like this and if I can't show I can make a few bucks my wife is likely to make me give up the space in the garage I have now dedicated to this effort.

I'm off to work on cancer. Have a great day. I'll check in on your comments later.

 

[fdd2blk]

i've been making medicine all morning.

i didn't mean to shoo you away. all is well until you post contact info. as long as you don't post contact info then we can continue.


i love your idea. to bad you weren't in northern cali. i have some seeds starting.

 

[ORECAL]

ahhh there's the loving FDD we know..........

I love the idea too...... he's just got to figure out a way to protect his potential customers outside of Cali and other medi states (as well as ones inside medi states, although it should be much easier inside the medi states)