Cibus Partners with John Innes Centre for UK Government's Farming Innovation Program

Precision breeding initiative aims to develop oilseed rape varieties resistant to Light Leaf Spot disease

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Cibus, a leading agricultural technology company, announced its participation as a key technology partner in a research and development project funded by the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). The project is part of the Farming Innovation Programme and aims to develop oilseed rape varieties with durable resistance to Light Leaf Spot disease, which has caused estimated yield losses of up to £300 million in recent years.

Why it matters

This partnership reinforces Cibus' role as a leading provider of gene-editing technology to the global seed industry, enabling the development of productivity-enhancing and disease-resistant traits. The project also aligns with the UK's Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, which positions England as a global hub for gene-edited crop development.

The details

Cibus will apply its proprietary Rapid Trait Development System™ (RTDS®) to precisely edit elite oilseed rape breeding lines, aiming to 'switch off' specific susceptibility genes and deliver high-yielding varieties with durable, multi-disease resistance. The LLS-ERASED (Light Leaf Spot Enhancing Resistance and Reducing Susceptibility with Editing) project is a collaboration between 12 industry and academic partners, including the John Innes Centre and the University of Hertfordshire.

  • The project was announced this week as part of the Defra Farming Innovation Programme.
  • In 2022, Light Leaf Spot disease cost UK oilseed rape growers an estimated £300 million.

The players

Cibus, Inc.

A leading agricultural technology company that develops and licenses plant traits to seed companies.

John Innes Centre

A world-class research institute that is a key partner in the LLS-ERASED project.

UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)

The UK government department that is funding the Farming Innovation Programme, including the LLS-ERASED project.

Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023

Legislation that has positioned England as a global hub for gene-edited crop development.

Tony Moran

Senior Vice President of International Development at Cibus.

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What they’re saying

“We are excited to be chosen for this critical program and to support the UK's vision for a more resilient agricultural sector.”

— Tony Moran, Senior Vice President of International Development (Cibus)

“I am excited to be working with Cibus to develop material with reduced susceptibility to light leaf spot disease in an elite agronomic background. To get our genetics from research to out on farm will be a major achievement and an excellent example for future improvement of target traits.”

— Dr. Rachel Wells, Project Technical Lead (John Innes Centre)

“The Lab to Farm nature of the work is very exciting and a broader objective of the project is to develop a model that can be applied to a pipeline of future precision bred traits, including resistance to other diseases and pests such as cabbage stem flea beetle.”

— Tom Allen-Stevens, Project Lead (British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN)

What’s next

The project aims to deliver the first precision-bred oilseed rape varieties to UK growers, marking a significant step towards restoring confidence and resilience in one of the country's most important break crops.

The takeaway

This partnership between Cibus and the John Innes Centre, supported by the UK government's Farming Innovation Programme, demonstrates the potential of gene-editing technology to address critical agricultural challenges and develop more resilient and productive crop varieties.