UK biotechnology company Resurrect Bio has entered into a joint development agreement with leading vegetable breeding company Bejo to develop innovative disease-resistance solutions for spinach. The collaboration will focus on combating spinach downy mildew, one of the most damaging diseases affecting spinach production worldwide.
The partnership comes as the global seed industry seeks faster and more precise methods of developing disease-resistant crop varieties that can withstand evolving pathogens while reducing reliance on chemical crop protection products.
Spinach is grown throughout the year and remains one of the world’s most popular leafy vegetables due to its high nutritional value, rich vitamin content, and mineral profile. However, because it is produced in multiple growing cycles annually, disease resistance can deteriorate rapidly as pathogens evolve, making the development of durable resistance a priority for breeders and growers alike.
Resurrect Bio and Bejo have been collaborating for several years while the biotechnology company refined its disease-resistance platform. Their relationship has now progressed into a formal joint development agreement aimed at accelerating the development of more resilient spinach varieties.
Under the agreement, Resurrect Bio will use its targeted trait discovery platform to identify natural disease-resistance mechanisms that can strengthen spinach’s immune response against downy mildew. The project combines the company’s expertise in plant-pathogen interactions with Bejo’s extensive experience in vegetable breeding to develop improved crop varieties with enhanced resilience.
Resurrect Bio’s technology focuses on identifying how plant immune systems are overcome by pathogens and uncovering genetic traits that restore or improve natural resistance. The approach is designed to deliver disease-resistance traits more rapidly than conventional breeding methods, enabling seed companies to incorporate these characteristics into their breeding programmes more efficiently.
Dr Cian Duggan, CEO and Co-Founder of Resurrect Bio, said spinach presents an ideal opportunity for the company’s technology because of its global importance and the ongoing challenge posed by downy mildew.
“This collaboration with Bejo allows us to apply our disease-resistance discovery platform to a crop that is important to growers, breeders and consumers worldwide. By combining our understanding of plant immunity with Bejo’s breeding expertise, we can develop new approaches to producing stronger and more durable disease resistance.”
Dr Laurens Kroon, Head of Research at Bejo, said the partnership reflects the company’s continued investment in innovation and its commitment to developing spinach varieties with long-lasting disease resistance.
“Our objective is to improve the stability of spinach production while extending the lifespan of disease-resistant varieties, helping to ensure a reliable supply of this widely consumed vegetable.”
The agreement also marks another significant milestone for Resurrect Bio following the successful completion of its US$10.3 million Series A funding round in May 2026. The partnership demonstrates the potential of the company’s technology across multiple crops and disease challenges as it continues working with leading global seed companies to develop more resilient agricultural production systems.
As disease pressures continue to evolve worldwide, collaborations between biotechnology innovators and plant breeders are expected to play an increasingly important role in developing sustainable crop varieties that improve food security while supporting more resilient farming systems.