Norwich, UK

The 2Blades Group is a translational research group embedded within The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, UK, the world leading institute for basic research in molecular plant-microbe interactions.

The group is led by Dr. Kamil Witek and is staffed by an international team of passionate and committed scientists whose goal is to advance durable genetic solutions to crop disease in order to secure global food supplies.

The 2Blades Group is crucial to our established industrial partnerships and allows the Foundation to perform proof of concept studies exploring innovative new approaches to tackling crop disease. It is part of our important partnership with TSL and serves as a fruitful platform to stimulate translation of fundamental discoveries in plant defenses to practical application.

Keep up to date with the latest news from The 2Blades Group at http://2blades.tsl.ac.uk/

Our Team

Current Projects

Asian Soybean Rust

In the 2001/2002 growing season, Asian soybean rust (ASR) first appeared in Brazil, which produces 30% of all soybean. This airborne fungus can cause yield losses of up to 80% without chemical control. Due to the climate and the large acreage of soybean in Brazil, ASR has reached epidemic proportions.

Asian Soybean Rust Resistance for Africa

Increased African production of soybean can reduce the cost of soy products, create significant economic returns for growers, and improve soil nitrogen for other crops. Yet as cultivation area increases, one disease threatens to undermine the sector – Asian Soybean Rust (ASR)

NLRseekTM

Plants with multiple NLR receptors against a pathogen can have strong, long-lasting resistance to disease – protecting crops and reducing the need for crop chemicals. Yet conventional approaches for identifying functional NLRs are labor intensive, expensive, and require advanced expertise, until now.