The John Innes Centre and its academic and industry partners have secured UK government funding to advance precision breeding projects focused on fruit and vegetable production, following approval under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 in England.
Funding is provided through the Defra Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. At least US$27.3 million in total funding, converted from £21.5 million, has been allocated across 15 innovation projects in England and Wales. The programme supports the development of new crops and cultivation approaches using precision breeding techniques, including gene editing.
Among the projects involving the John Innes Centre is "Sunshine Tomatoes: a farming future through precision breeding", which aims to bring a gene-edited, vitamin D3-enriched tomato to market. The project is valued at approximately US$1.4 million over three years, converted from £1.1 million, and is led by researchers from the John Innes Centre in collaboration with industry partners. The tomato has been developed by the research group of Professor Cathie Martin and is expected to be among the first food crops approved under the UK's precision breeding legislation.
According to the programme outline, the project will support commercialisation pathways for fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and plant-derived vitamin D products. Funding also includes a contribution from John Innes Enterprises, the commercial arm of the John Innes Centre.
Professor Cristóbal Uauy, Director of the John Innes Centre, said: "We are delighted to be partners in four of the projects chosen in the Farming Innovation Programme precision breeding initiative. The fact that our scientists and their industry partners have performed so strongly in this funding round is an endorsement of the John Innes Centre's value as a hub of precision breeding expertise and a national capability supported by the BBSRC."
Professor Cathie Martin said: "The DEFRA/Innovate UK funding recognises the significance and potential of our achievements so far, in bringing the vitamin D3 gene-edited tomato to human trials." She added that the project aims to translate research outputs into products intended for consumer markets.
The Defra Farming Innovation Programme forms part of the UK government's wider investment in agricultural research and development. Funding is provided as grants covering a share of eligible project costs, with the remainder financed by participating organisations.
Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said: "Innovation is central to a more productive, resilient farming sector. This funding will back new ideas farmers can use on the ground to cut methane and fertiliser-related emissions, strengthen crop resilience, and improve nutrition."
Defra stated that the supported initiatives aim to enable the application of precision breeding tools in horticultural systems, with tomatoes among the primary fruit crops included under the current funding round.
Source 1: Hexham Courant
Source 2: John Innes Centre
