Texas university, firm to study lighting effects on hemp terpenes, other molecules

The University of Texas at Arlington is partnering with a grow-light company to research different lighting effects on terpenes and other molecules in hemp.

UTA’s Kevin Schug and the university’s Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation is working with Curtis Mathes Grow Lights Inc., the company announced Tuesday.

Curtis Mathes Grow Lights is a subsidiary of Light Engine Design Corp.

“While we hypothesize that spectral switching and the toggling of supplemental red light will have profound effects on plant growth and phytochemical expression, there is not much available data in the hemp sector that explores this,” said Robert Manes, COO of Light Engine Design Corp.

The company did not say how much it plans to spend on the research or how long it could take.

Light Engine Design Corp. is based in Phoenix and trades on over-the-counter markets as TLED.