Phytome Life Sciences announces preliminary results from its research collaboration with Inventronics and the University of Plymouth to develop commercial applications for AI-driven technologies in pharmaceutical agriculture. The collaboration, initiated in November 2022, aims to revolutionize the production of high-value biotherapeutics in controlled-environment systems by leveraging the epigenetic impact of light and other environmental factors.
The research has shown that targeted wavelengths of light can selectively increase the productive biomass and yield of active pharmaceutical ingredients, paving the way for highly efficient cultivation strategies, real-time plant monitoring, and high-precision molecular outcomes while minimizing energy waste. Additionally, the study explores the potential of morphological control to enable scalable and repeatable precision cultivation technologies.
"Our pharmaceutical agriculture program focuses on scalable, uniform, and reproducible production of high-value therapeutic molecules in a plant-based system. This is a critical requirement for the development of a standardized licensed botanical drug that can be prescribed and reimbursed at scale," said Dr. Sebastian Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer of Phytome Life Sciences. "We have demonstrated outstanding levels of batch conformity while showing we can use particular environmental interventions to increase plant biomass production by up to 500% while independently increasing the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients by approximately 20%. Building upon these preliminary findings, our research will continue to develop data-driven tools to optimize plant-environment interactions for optimized yield and reduced energy consumption. The ultimate goal of this research is to achieve scalable and reproducible production of specific plant-derived therapeutics, with implications for advanced medical drug research and development and the wider controlled-environment agriculture industry."
Phytome's research emphasizes the significance of epigenetic plant traits, offering promising strategies to exploit plant adaptation to changing environmental cues and ensure crop conformity, yield, and quality. By delivering precise environmental cues and monitoring plant requirements, environmental technologies will reduce energy consumption and eliminate excess inputs, maximizing the productivity and consistency of the cultivation system. Combined with optimized plant cultivars, these technologies offer strategic differentiation and commercial opportunities in controlled-environment agriculture systems.
"The preliminary data from these trials at Phytome Life Sciences advanced cultivation R&D facilities suggests a significant unaddressed opportunity to develop scalable new luminaire technologies and lighting strategies," said Dino Jakobi, Global Sales Manager, Horticulture at Inventronics. "This will enable pharmaceutical and food cultivators to both enhance the quality and conformity of crops as well as reduce the high operating costs associated with controlled-environment agriculture."
The collaboration between Phytome and the University of Plymouth is led by Head of Plant Research, Dr Hail Rihan. A globally recognized expert in the rapidly growing field of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and plant tissue culture. Hail's research focuses on the commercial application of next-generation LED technologies for the intensive hydroponic culture of high-value crops.
The University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor Archie Clements, said: "These exciting results show the benefits of combining the University of Plymouth's world-class research expertise with two leaders in the field of lighting and biopharmaceutical research. This collaboration is delivering excellent results revealing plant and environment interactions to optimize energy consumption and manage other critical elements for plant propagation to enhance yields for medical science research and other applications."
"These results are exciting and informative, they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of these technologies to revolutionize our understanding of plant-environment interactions," said Professor Richard Preziosi, Head of the School for Biological & Marine Sciences at the University of Plymouth. "Harnessing predictive models and the use of sensor technology to develop real-time data feedback loops is a significant step forward to unlock the complexity of plants and their fullest potential for human impact as sustainable sources of medicines, industrial chemicals, and high-quality food."
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Phytome Life Sciences 
www.phytomelife.com