In a significant stride toward the future of agriculture, Syntato, a pioneering spinout from Imperial College London’s MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), has been awarded funding by the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to advance chromosome engineering in crops. The initiative aims to develop a novel potato variety featuring a synthetic chromosome by the summer of 2028, as Lindsay Keith reports in a news story for Imperial College London

Innovative Approach to Crop Engineering

Syntato’s project is part of ARIA’s Synthetic Plants Program, designed to catalyze the development of major crops that are more productive, resilient, and sustainable. The company’s focus is on reducing the cost and iteration time of chromosome engineering by making chromosomes modular and reusable.

This approach allows for the integration of entire suites of adaptive crop traits as single, modular units, leaving the native genome intact while delivering system-level improvements in one step.

Collaborative Effort with International Partners

The project is a collaborative effort involving several key partners:

• Madeinplant: A Valencian biotechnology company co-founded by synthetic biologists Dr. Diego Orzaez and Dr. Marta Vázquez Vilar.
• London Biofoundry: Led by Dr. Marko Storch, this facility brings expertise in synthetic biology and automation.
• Briefly.Bio: A provider of AI-powered lab automation interfaces, enabling Syntato’s scientists to configure their robotic pipeline quickly and independently.

Together, these organizations aim to build a synthetic chromosome and use it to create a new potato variety within three years.

Leadership and Vision

Syntato is led by Dr. Karen Sarkisyan, an expert in bioengineering with a track record of translating emerging genetic technologies into real-life products. Dr. Sarkisyan previously co-founded Light Bio, which commercialized the world’s first glow-in-the-dark ornamental plant, the Firefly Petunia.

“Chromosome-scale engineering is an essential technology to master if we are serious about creating crops that are adaptive to climate changes, more productive, and able to resist pests and diseases without any sprayed chemicals,” said Dr. Sarkisyan. “ARIA’s backing, together with the continued support of translational work from the LMS, allows us to realistically approach this challenge.”

Located at the heart of Imperial College London’s ecosystem for synthetic biology startups, Syntato is establishing a partnership with the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein to explore food-related applications of this new technology platform.

About Syntato

Syntato emerged from the Synthetic Biology laboratory at the LMS, embedded within the Hammersmith Campus at Imperial College London. The company’s mission is to revolutionize crop engineering through innovative chromosome-scale technologies.

For more information, please visit Imperial College London News.

Source: This article is based on information provided by Imperial College London and authored by Lindsay Keith.
Image: Credit Imperial College London