Using AI to accelerate agricultural product development
The first spin-out from the Earlham Institute, TraitSeq is accelerating the development of agricultural products.
Combining cutting-edge machine learning approaches with gene expression data, TraitSeq's technology provides predictive insights that accelerate lead assessment and improve efficiency in decision-making for the R&D of innovative agricultural solutions.
Evaluating the performance of new products and edited varieties traditionally requires extensive glasshouse and field trials. TraitSeq’s biomarkers empower agritech companies to confidently identify the most promising solutions, enabling faster market entry. The technology has potential applications in crop protection, gene editing and engineering, as well as trait discovery and pathway analysis.
The company, co-founded by Dr Joshua Colmer, Professor Anthony Hall, John Bloomer and Dr Felicity Knowles, builds on research conducted during Dr Colmer’s PhD at the Earlham Institute, which was supported by a BBSRC National Productivity Investment Fund studentship focused on using AI to tackle industrial challenges.
Co-founder Professor Hall was funded as part of the Earlham BBSRC Institute's core strategic program “From Genomes to Food Security and Healthy Life”. TraitSeq extends the development of this research area.
Prior to spin-out, BBSRC Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) funding enabled the initial development and validation of commercialising the technology through industry engagement. Since then, TraitSeq has gone from strength to strength and has received further investment through Innovate UK and pre-seed investors, alongside generating commercial revenue.
About BBSRC
As the UK’s major public funder of world-leading bioscience research and innovation, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council's (BBSRC) vision is to advance the frontiers of biology and drive towards a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future.
Some of the institutions key to meeting this vision are BBSRC’s strategic partnerships with universities, of which there are 15. Also mission critical are the 8 specialist bioscience research institutes that BBSRC strategically funds:
- Babraham Institute
- Earlham Institute
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS)
- John Innes Centre
- The Pirbright Institute
- Quadram Institute
- The Roslin Institute
- Rothamsted Research
Find out more about BBSRC’s work and strategic priorities by reading our Strategic Delivery Plan 2022-2025.
Contact us
Impact narratives and case studies provide an important evidence base to support the case for continued investment in world-class bioscience.
Get in touch with us to discuss BBSRC’s research outcomes and impacts or to tell us about your own:
Emma Lambourne, Senior Manager, Impact Evidence
emma.lambourne@bbsrc.ukri.org
Rosie Ford, Manager, Impact Evidence
rosie.ford@bbsrc.ukri.org
Dr Beverley Thomas, Associate Director, Evidence and Evaluation
beverley.thomas@bbsrc.ukri.org
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
UK Research and Innovation, Polaris House, Swindon, SN2 1FL