Amyris this morning announced a $255M collaboration agreement, its largest yet, with an unnamed partner, for cannabinoid development and licensing, H.C. Wainwright analyst Amit Dayal tells investors in a research note. The analyst reiterates a Buy rating on the shares with an $11 price target. The stock in morning trading is up 42%, or $1.33, to $4.49. Dayal believes the agreement calls for several molecules that will be targeting multiple products and end markets, with the first commercial production taking place in 18-24 months. He thinks the early applications are targeting opportunities in the skin care and beverage markets. Further, with an executed binding term sheet in place leading to the announcement, Dayal sees a "high probability" of the deal closing within the expected timeline. And since the non-psychoactive cannabidiol based molecules developed using Amyris' fermentation technology are likely to bypass the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol molecule pathway, the regulatory approval process "should not run afoul of the federal THC related restrictions," the analyst writes. He views today's announcement as an "important signal about the scalability" of Amyris' technology platform to enter large new markets very quickly. The analyst also believes the development timeline is "realistic given that product development has been accelerating at the company."