10094406Development of tomato resistance to tomato brown rugose fruit virusActiveCollaborative R&DInnovate UKOver 185 million metric tonnes/year of tomatoes are produced globally worldwide on 5.1m hectares (Faostat, 2020), with a global market value of nearly USD200bn (Mordor Intelligence, 2023). Yet, global tomato production faces an unprecedented threat from an emerging viral pathogen, tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a seed- and contact-transmitted virus that causes high infection rates (up to 100%) and severe crop yield losses (ranging from 25 to 70%). ToBRFV particularly affects greenhouse tomato production because of the worldwide seed distribution for greenhouse tomatoes and the increased need for plant handling compared to in open-field production, increasing the risk of mechanical transmission. The first outbreak of ToBRFV was in Israel in 2014 and all tomato production areas in Israel remain severely affected by ToBRFV, with national yield losses of approximately 50%, responsible for estimated economic losses of £26m/year (Fresh Produce Journal, 2021). Today, the virus has been reported in at least 35 countries worldwide, with the first outbreak in the UK reported in 2019\. The combination of virus pressure and high energy prices continues to threaten commercial viability for greenhouse tomato growers. In the UK and elsewhere, winter production during 2022/23 was significantly reduced. Spring 2023 saw tomato shortages in the UK, with UK tomato prices increasing by 22.3% compared to the previous year (ONS, 2023). Through this UK-Israel Eureka Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 2 project, UK-based Tropic and Israel-based BetterSeeds will combine their complementary skills in plant genome editing to develop durable and complete resistance to ToBRFV, which can be scaled across high-performing tomato varieties without incurring a yield penalty or reducing product quality. Founded in 2016, Tropic is a pioneering agricultural-biotechnology company developing advanced plant breeding and gene editing technologies, employing over 140 industry-leading professionals. BetterSeeds is Israel's largest and leading plant genome editing company, founded in 2017 and currently employing 25 people, predominantly researchers in plant science and genetics. Ultimately, successful project outcomes will protect greenhouse tomato growers from catastrophic yield losses resulting from ToBRFV outbreaks, reducing unproductive operational costs, improving productivity and profitability, while ensuring a resilient supply of healthy and sustainable fresh produce to consumers.