Developing efficient and non-transgenic transformation methods for sterile and/or recalcitrant crops

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Facing the triple challenge of feeding a growing population, dealing with the impacts of climate change, and preventing major losses to emerging pathogens, gene-editing technologies are increasingly seen as playing a key role in achieving future global food security. Unlike genetically modified organisms (GMO), which contain genetic changes that could not have occurred through traditional breeding or arisen naturally, regional regulations are increasingly permissive for gene editing, which focuses on genetic changes that could have arisen through traditional breeding methods or occurred naturally.The UK is a global leader in genetics and genomics research and this position has recently been underpinned by the entry into force of world-leading gene-editing regulations through the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, which permits the development and marketing of gene-edited crops and livestock in England.Founded in 2016, Tropic is a pioneering agricultural-biotechnology company developing advanced plant breeding and gene editing technologies, employing over 140 industry-leading professionals at our headquarters in the Norwich Research Park Innovation Centre. We are developing high-performing commercial varieties of tropical crops in-house (focusing initially on banana, rice, and coffee) and, outside tropical crops, making our proprietary and patented gene-editing technology platform available to select partners including leading global agribusinesses BASF, Corteva Agriscience, and Genus.Banana is the world's fourth largest crop by production volume, playing a vital role in global food security and ensuring the livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers. We are developing gene-edited bananas with valuable traits including extended shelf-life and non-browning, as well as resistance to tropical race 4 (TR4) and black-sigatoka disease (BSD). Banana browning is responsible for the loss of over 60% of exported bananas in the supply chain (i.e. before reaching the consumer). TR4 and BSD are rapidly spreading fungal pathogens that threaten global banana production, with BSD already causing global annual banana production losses of £1.1 billion and BSD management accounting for 27% of banana production costs.Since cultivated bananas are triploid and sterile, new varieties cannot be produced through conventional breeding. While gene editing offers significant promise for valuable trait development, gene editing of banana faces significant implementation challenges including low transformation efficiencies and the requirement to develop non-transgenic transformation methods (since transgenes cannot be bred out).With Innovate UK funding, we will develop efficient and non-transgenic transformation methods for sterile and/or recalcitrant crops, focusing initially on banana as a model crop system.