ARIA selects Phytoform for a world-first effort to build synthetic chromosome for potato

Phytoform is proud to announce that its team of scientists has been named ARIA R&D creators, joining forces with teams at the University of Cambridge, the University of Western Australia, and the Macquarie University. Together, the consortium has been awarded a £6 million grant from the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) under its Synthetic Plants programme. Learn more about the programme at https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/programmable-plants/synthetic-plants

This groundbreaking project aims to construct a synthetic potato chromosome entirely from scratch – a world-first achievement that could transform agriculture as we know it. If successful, the research will unlock powerful new ways to make crops more resilient and, productive, offering a new approach to securing global food supplies amid the growing challenges of climate change.

At Phytoform, the project represents an opportunity to further advance our mission: unlocking technologies that accelerate crop development and enhance plants with new qualities. These could include drought tolerance to reduce water usage, or even the ability to grow and fix their own nitrogen, reducing fertiliser need — reducing the impact of farming and directly contributing to climate change mitigation.

As part of the project, Phytoform will expand its precision breeding capabilities, enabling a greater range of genetic edits to develop crops with more complex and robust traits, efficiently and sustainably.

Nicolas Kral, CTO at Phytoform, commented:

“By building a synthetic chromosome, we’re layering the groundwork for a new generation of crops that could help solve major challenges in food security, climate change, and sustainable manufacturing. Synthetic biology has already provided powerful tools to the world of healthcare and could now advance agriculture by tailoring plant traits to meet the needs of a changing planet. “

This collaboration marks an exciting step forward for Phytoform, reinforcing our commitment to leveraging precision crop breeding to solve crucial problems in our food system.

‍