San Diego, California, USA
February 6, 2026

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 £300 million in 2022 alone. By "switching off" specific susceptibility genes, a consortium of 12 industry and academic partners, including Cibus, aims to deliver high-yielding varieties with durable, multi-disease resistance. The initiative, if successful, would enable bringing the first precision-bred oilseed rape varieties to growers, marking a significant step towards restoring confidence and resilience in one of the UK’s most important break crops.

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 £21.5m in new funding will back 15 innovation projects across England and Wales to help farms cut emissions, strengthen resilience, and boost productivity.

To learn more about the Cibus Canola/Oilseed rape program, please visit: www.cibus.com/products/canola.
 

Published: February 6, 2026