Cytotrait, a biotechnology spinout from The University of Manchester developing novel traits for food and agriculture, announced the closing of a £3M seed funding round led by Northern Gritstone, with participation from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital) and Northern Universities Ventures Fund managed by Parkwalk in collaboration with Northern Gritstone. Funding will support expansion of development programmes based on Cytotrait’s proprietary Mutant Organelle Selection System (MOSS) technology and further exploration of improved traits in major crop species.
Technology Platform
Cytotrait’s MOSS platform addresses long-standing challenges in crop engineering and supports global food security and sustainable agriculture goals. The technology rapidly achieves homoplasmy by delivering genes and gene edits into chloroplasts and mitochondria, enabling genetic changes across every organelle in plant cells. The system enables precise trait engineering with localized or high-level expression, reduced phytotoxicity, easier backcrossing and trait stacking, efficient containment, and simplified regulatory pathways.
Research and Crop Development
Cytotrait will use the investment to launch new research programmes targeting wheat, maize, potato, and canola across European and North American markets. Programmes will explore improved yield, crop resilience, introduction of new food traits, and sustainability benefits including enhanced carbon sequestration.
Background and Support
Cytotrait previously received £498K from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to develop MOSS for hybrid seed production in wheat. The company emerged from The University of Manchester with support from the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, the institution’s technology transfer office focused on commercializing research through spinouts, licensing, and investment. Cytotrait also participated in NG Studios, Northern Gritstone’s venture-building program for deeptech spinouts.
Dr Junwei Ji, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Cytotrait, commented: “Food security and sustainability are two of our most pressing global challenges, and issues that we must be prepared to face today to ensure we are ready to meet the needs of tomorrow. We developed MOSS with those challenges in mind – a unique crop engineering solution capable of streamlining regulatory pathways and generating crops with new, enhanced, and more carbon-conscious traits. Thank you to our investors, whose support reaffirms our belief in the potential of MOSS to bring about a new frontier in crop technology.”