Two research groups from the University of Cambridge's Department of Plant Sciences have been awarded funding by the UK's Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) as part of its Synthetic Plants programme. The aim is to explore innovative ways to develop programmable plants with enhanced qualities such as drought tolerance and pest resistance.
Professor Jake Harris, head of the Chromatin and Memory group, leads one of these projects which has received £6.5 million. The project focuses on creating the world's first artificial plant chromosome. "We’re building the tools to make plants programmable, just like software," said Harris. His team includes collaborators from The University of Western Australia, Phytoform Labs, and Macquarie University's Australian Genome Foundry.
The second funded project involves Professor Alison Smith and Dr Paweł Mordaka from the Plant Metabolism group. Their focus is on using synthetic chloroplasts to enable plants to fix nitrogen and produce vitamin B12, potentially reducing reliance on fertilizers. This project is part of a larger £9 million grant involving researchers from the UK, USA, and Germany.
Professor Smith stated: "Our success would unlock powerful applications in agriculture... potentially reducing fertiliser dependence and addressing malnutrition." She emphasized that these developments could equip plants with new functions beyond current gene editing capabilities.
Both projects are seen as ambitious endeavors supported by ARIA's unique approach to fostering groundbreaking research opportunities. Professor Harris remarked: "It’s about designing entirely new capabilities in plants – from the molecular level up."
This initiative aligns with broader trends in synthetic biology which are already transforming healthcare and hold potential for significant advancements in agriculture.