Cibus Partnering with The John Innes Centre for UK Government’s Farming Innovation Programme Precision Breeding Initiative
Rhea-AI Summary
Cibus (Nasdaq: CBUS) is partnering with the John Innes Centre and other academic and industry collaborators on the UK Government–funded LLS-ERASED precision breeding project to develop durable resistance to Light Leaf Spot in oilseed rape using its Rapid Trait Development System™.
The initiative targets a disease that caused an estimated £300m in grower losses in 2022 and is supported by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and at least £21.5m in new funding across 15 projects, aiming to bring precision-bred varieties to UK growers.
Positive
- Chosen as a key technology partner in a Defra-funded Farming Innovation Programme project
- Project addresses Light Leaf Spot, linked to an estimated £300m loss in 2022
- Collaboration with John Innes Centre and 11 other partners in a 12-member consortium
- Work aligns with the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, easing UK gene-editing pathways
- Defra/Innovate UK funding environment: at least £21.5m backing 15 projects across England and Wales
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, CBUS declined 7.14%, reflecting a notable negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -5.0% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 5 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $12M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $151M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
CBUS was down about 2.61% while 4 of 5 biotech peers listed (ACET, CVM, IGMS, VANI) also traded lower and RPTX was modestly higher, pointing to more stock-specific than sector-driven action.
Previous Partnership Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24 | Regulatory partnership win | Positive | +3.3% | FDA completed review of partnered gene-edited alfalfa for livestock feed use. |
Past partnership news drew a modest positive reaction of about 3.31%, suggesting collaborations have previously been viewed constructively.
Over the past several months, Cibus has combined strategic updates, financings, and commercial progress. A prior partnership milestone on Jun 24, 2025 involved FDA completion for an altered lignin alfalfa trait with S&W Seed, leading to the first commercial gene-edited alfalfa varieties in the U.S. That event saw a 3.31% gain, indicating that regulatory and partnership achievements in gene-edited crops have previously been received positively, providing a relevant reference point for today’s UK-focused collaboration.
Historical Comparison
In the last 12 months, Cibus’ only tagged partnership headline saw a 3.31% gain. Today’s collaboration fits the pattern of gene-editing partnerships but comes with a softer initial price reaction of about -2.61%.
Partnership news has evolved from U.S. FDA completion for gene-edited alfalfa toward broader international collaborations in gene-edited oilseed rape aligned with UK precision breeding policy.
Market Pulse Summary
The stock moved -7.1% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite constructive partnership news fits a backdrop of financing and going-concern concerns highlighted in recent SEC filings. While the UK collaboration reinforces Cibus’ positioning in gene-edited crops, investors have recently focused on cash usage targets around $30 million annually and the need for additional capital. Past partnership news produced a 3.31% gain, so a sharp decline would reflect balance-sheet worries more than the collaboration itself.
Key Terms
rapid trait development system technical
gene editing medical
precision breeding technical
light leaf spot medical
oilseed rape medical
pathogen medical
genetic technology (precision breeding) act 2023 regulatory
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Cibus to utilize proprietary Rapid Trait Development System™ to enable development of durable resistance to Light Leaf Spot disease, which has caused estimated yield losses of up to
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cibus, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBUS) (the “Company” or “Cibus”), a leading agricultural technology company that develops and licenses plant traits to seed companies, today announced its participation as a key technology partner in a landmark research and development project funded by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), underscoring the potential benefits of gene editing for enabling crop improvement and innovation to the benefit of seed companies, growers, and consumers.
Announced this week, the project is part of the Farming Innovation Programme, with Defra investing in mid-stage precision breeding projects designed to strengthen the resilience and productivity of UK agriculture. Cibus will apply its proprietary gene-editing expertise to address one of the most pressing challenges facing farmers, the sustainable protection of oilseed rape (OSR) against Light Leaf Spot disease.
“We are excited to be chosen for this critical program and to support the UK’s vision for a more resilient agricultural sector,” said Tony Moran, Senior Vice President of International Development at Cibus. “By integrating our precision breeding technology with the world-class research at the John Innes Centre and the University of Hertfordshire, the project aims to provide a vital tool for farmers. Our Rapid Trait Development System™ (RTDS®) enables precise gene edits in elite OSR breeding lines, significantly shortening the time needed to bring new traits to market. However, the potential project impact goes beyond just the science; it’s about helping farmers combat an increasingly challenging pathogen and an important step in preserving the economics of oilseed rape as the staple break crop in the UK.”
The LLS-ERASED (Light Leaf Spot Enhancing Resistance and Reducing Susceptibility with Editing) project targets Light Leaf Spot, the UK's most destructive oilseed rape disease, which cost growers an estimated
Dr. Rachel Wells, Project Technical Lead at the John Innes Centre, commented on the potential outcomes of this multidisciplinary collaborative project and partnership with 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.”
Additionally, Tom Allen-Stevens, Project Lead from the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), one of the key collaborators in the LLS-ERASED project added, “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.”
The project aligns with the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, which has positioned England as a global hub for gene-edited crop development. For Cibus, this partnership reinforces its role as a leading technology provider to the global seed industry, facilitating the development of productivity enhancing and disease-resistant traits.
The Defra Farming Innovation Programme funding, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, will enable the research-industry collaborations to develop sustainable new crops, open new markets, and support farmers by harnessing precision breeding techniques. At least
To learn more about the Cibus Canola/Oilseed rape program, please visit: www.cibus.com/products/canola.
About Cibus
Cibus is a leader in developing traits (characteristics) that address critical productivity, yield and sustainability challenges. Cibus’ proprietary high-throughput gene-editing technologies drive its long-term focus on productivity traits for farmers for the major global row crops. Cibus is not a seed company. It is a technology company that uses its gene editing technologies to develop plant traits at a fraction of the time and cost of conventional breeding and to license them to customers in exchange for royalties, leveraging its strong partnerships across the seed industry as a whole.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included herein, including statements regarding Cibus’ operational and financial performance, strategy, future operations, prospects, and plans, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," “contemplate,” "intend," "expect," "plan," "scheduled," "could," "would" and "will," or the negative of these and similar expressions.
These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and assumptions of Cibus' management about future events, which are based on currently available information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond the control of Cibus. Cibus' actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements could be materially different than those expressed, implied, or anticipated by forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: Cibus' need for additional near-term funding to finance its activities and challenges in obtaining additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; changes in expected or existing competition; challenges to Cibus' intellectual property protection and unexpected costs associated with defending intellectual property rights; increased or unanticipated time and resources required for Cibus' platform or trait product development efforts; Cibus' reliance on third parties in connection with its development activities; challenges associated with Cibus' ability to effectively license its productivity traits and sustainable ingredient products; the risk that farmers do not recognize the value in germplasm containing Cibus' traits or that farmers and processors fail to work effectively with crops containing Cibus' traits; delays or disruptions in the Company's platform or trait product development efforts; challenges that arise in respect of Cibus' production of high-quality plants and seeds cost effectively on a large scale; Cibus' dependence on distributions from Cibus Global, LLC to pay taxes and cover its corporate and overhead expenses; regulatory developments that disfavor or impose significant burdens on gene-editing processes or products; commodity prices and other market risks facing the agricultural sector; technological developments that could render Cibus' technologies obsolete; changes in macroeconomic and market conditions, including inflation, supply chain constraints, and rising interest rates; dislocations in the capital markets and challenges in accessing liquidity and the impact of such liquidity challenges on Cibus' ability to execute on its business plan; and other important factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Cibus' Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 20, 2025. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Cibus' views as of the date hereof. Cibus specifically disclaims any obligation to update such forward-looking statements in the future, except as required under applicable law.
CIBUS CONTACTS:
INVESTOR RELATIONS
Jeff Sonnek – ICR
jeff.sonnek@icrinc.com
MEDIA RELATIONS
media@cibus.com
Colin Sanford
colin@bioscribe.com
FAQ
What is the LLS-ERASED project and how is Cibus (CBUS) involved?
How significant is Light Leaf Spot for UK oilseed rape growers and why does CBUS target it?
What funding supports the Cibus-related precision breeding work in the UK?
Will Cibus’s work under LLS-ERASED enable commercial oilseed rape varieties for farmers?
How does UK regulation affect Cibus’s precision breeding work (CBUS)?
