ARIA Programmableplants Image

Synthetic Plants

Backed by £62.4m, this programme sits within the Programmable Plants opportunity space and aims to catalyse a new generation of major crops that are more productive, resilient and sustainable.

Our goal

To unite expertise in synthetic biology + plant biology, opening pathways to a new generation of major crops and future-proofing our agricultural system.

Representing eighty percent of the world’s biomass, with scope to provide everything from food to pharmaceuticals, plants are a critical lever for addressing the twin challenges of food insecurity and climate change. To unlock their potential, we must accelerate the pace of agricultural innovation.

Synthetic biology is already revolutionising the world of healthcare. Exploring its application to tailor the traits of plants has the potential to transform the agricultural industry and deliver valuable benefits ranging from food to pharmaceuticals and beyond. 

We see a vital opportunity to unlock new plant capabilities that can meet the future needs of humankind. We aim to develop synthetic chromosomes and chloroplasts that are viable in a living plant. This will move beyond what can be accomplished with gene editing and imbue plants with new functionalities, from reducing agricultural water use to protecting crop yields in uncertain conditions.

Read the programme thesis

Read the accessible version of the programme thesis

Technical Areas

This programme is split into five Technical Areas (TAs), each with its own distinct objective: 

TA1

Design, Build, Deliver

Focuses on developing multiple designs for units that deliver a simple plant trait.

TA2

Social + Ethical

Focuses on addressing the social + ethical considerations around synthetic plant technologies, ensuring responsible development + application.

TA3

Maintain

Focuses maintenance + replication of units within cells.

TA4

Species Transferability

Focuses on demonstrating units’ functionality in multiple crop species, including one monocot and one dicot.

TA5

Trait Complexity

Focuses on successfully delivering agriculturally relevant complex traits using synthetic units.

Explore the funded projects

We're currently funding 9 diverse teams aiming to make essential crops more resilient to environmental challenges, support more productive and sustainable farming, and ensure that diverse public perspectives help shape the future of these technologies.

Discover more

Meet the programme team

Our Programme Directors are supported by a core team that provides a blend of operational coordination and highly specialised technical expertise.

A picture of Angie Burnett smiling against a blue curtain background.

Angie Burnett

Programme Director

Angie Burnett is a plant biologist and has spent the last decade focusing on understanding the power of plants to solve some of our most pressing challenges such as food insecurity, climate change and environmental degradation. Previously, Angie was a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge.

A black-and-white photo of Nivashinee Krishnakumar smiling in front of a white wall.

Nivashinee Krishnakumar

Programme Specialist

Nivashinee has more than five years’ experience in programme management and project delivery. She led high profile projects at a leading global technology consultancy and has worked within delivery management in a variety of industries, ranging from edtech and life sciences to the aviation aftermarket. Nivashinee supports ARIA as an Operating Partner from Pace.

A photo of Fabrizio smiling and standing in front of a white background.

Fabrizio Ticchiarelli-Marjot

Technical Specialist

As a plant scientist with a PhD from Cambridge, Fabrizio has spent ten years advancing plant biology knowledge and its translation to products. Before ARIA, he spent five years working in early-stage tech startups, consulting on lab automation at Synthace for Pharma and Crop Protection companies, then at Gardin where he led the plant science team and headed delivery of the R&D product offering.

Featured insights

Sign up for updates

Stay up-to-date on our opportunity spaces and programmes, be the first to know about our funding calls and get the latest news from ARIA.

Sign up