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Tree vaccines and gene-edited butterflies among biotechnology projects funded by UK ‘invention agency’
UK NewsTechnologySeptember 21, 2026 at 11:00 AMNational

Tree vaccines and gene-edited butterflies among biotechnology projects funded by UK ‘invention agency’

By Matthew PonsfordThe Guardian - UK News

Exclusive: The tax-funded research aims to protect British wildlife from the human-caused climate crisisVaccines for ash trees, skin treatments for newts and gene-edited swallowtail butterflies are among 14 tax-funded projects from the UK’s “invention agency” aiming to accelerate nature’s ability to adapt to the climate crisis.The £54m accelerated adaptation programme from the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) – a public body that funds high-risk, high-reward tech projects – aims to investigate applications of biotechnology that can speed up wild species’ evolution and help them to adapt to new threats such as global warming and disease. Continue reading...

Exclusive: The tax-funded research aims to protect British wildlife from the human-caused climate crisis

Vaccines for ash trees, skin treatments for newts and gene-edited swallowtail butterflies are among 14 tax-funded projects from the UK’s “invention agency” aiming to accelerate nature’s ability to adapt to the climate crisis.

The £54m accelerated adaptation programme from the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) – a public body that funds high-risk, high-reward tech projects – aims to investigate applications of biotechnology that can speed up wild species’ evolution and help them to adapt to new threats such as global warming and disease.

Continue reading...