10083117Harnessing the power of the microbiome to transform controlled and semi-controlled environment agricultureClosedInvestment AcceleratorInnovate UKRecent technical advances including decreasing sequencing costs and improving computing power have triggered an explosion of interest in microbiome research and innovation, spanning across human, animal, and plant health. Probiotics are already widely applied in traditional soil-based agriculture, accepted as beneficial microorganisms playing a key role in crop yield and quality, and even conferring resistance to pathogen outbreaks. Yet, when it comes to controlled and semi-controlled environment agriculture (CEA), CEA growers report poor efficacy from existing products discovered in soil and translated into a soilless environment, where they potentially face poor survival rates. Furthermore, to mitigate against the risk of potentially catastrophic plant or human pathogen outbreaks, CEA growers are forced to target a sterile environment. However, this drive for sterility results in even lower levels of beneficial microbes, negatively impacting CEA productivity, profitability, and resilience. CEA growers, particularly those in the UK and Europe, also continue to face the challenge of high energy prices, with energy costs contributing up to 40% of CEA farm costs, exacerbated by recent price rises threatening regional economic viability. Founded in 2021 by Dr Paul Rutten (PhD in plant-microbe interactions from the University of Oxford; MBA and Entrepreneur First alumni), Concert Bio is developing a microbiome optimisation platform for CEA growers. The platform combines high-throughput sequencing-based monitoring with environmental and probiotic interventions to maximise resource-efficient, low-emission CEA crop production and minimise wasted operational costs through improving productivity, sustainability, and resilience. Our technology addresses 6 UN Sustainable Development Goals: 2 (Zero Hunger), 5 (Gender Equality), 9 (Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption/Production), 13 (Climate Action), 15 (Life on Land), and aligns with the UK's net-zero agriculture 2040 ambition. Through Innovate UK support and aligned private investment, Concert Bio will harness the power of the microbiome to transform CEA. The project timeliness is extremely high, with the energy crisis placing further pressure on CEA growers to increase productivity, profitability, and resilience in the face of rising operational costs. The UK is uniquely placed to take a global leadership position in CEA, benefitting from a strong academic research base in microbiome science and already home to several of the world's largest CEA farms. Ultimately, successful project outcomes will prove transformational for the CEA sector, establishing world-leading CEA capacity and driving the production of resource-efficient, low-emission CEA crops, reducing horticulture imports and driving technology exports, demonstrating global UK leadership.