A young man with glasses and short black hair stands outdoors in front of green foliage, wearing a beige jacket and light-colored shirt.

Junwei Ji

Junwei holds a PhD from the University of Manchester, where his research on precise DNA mutagenesis in plant chloroplast genome led to the Mutant Organelle Selection System (MOSS), now licensed to Cytotrait. He led the ICURe programme that established the company’s groundwork. A former hybrid maize breeder, Junwei brings deep experience in agricultural biotechnology and innovative solutions for climate challenges.

Co-Founder & Executive Director
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Tim Brears

Tim has extensive start-up experience in ag-biotech and pharmaceuticals, having served as CEO for companies like Evonetix and Gendaq through significant financing and exits. He spent a decade in the US, including leadership roles at Ciba-Geigy/Novartis (Syngenta). Tim holds a PhD in plant molecular biology from Cambridge and an MBA from Duke University.

Executive Chair
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Co-founder & Scientific Advisor

Anil Day

Anil is a world leader in chloroplast biology and genetic engineering for crop improvement. He actively bridges academic research with commercial application, serving as the business engagement lead for his division. Together with Junwei, Anil co-invented the MOSS technology central to Cytotrait.

Research Scientist

Junliang Song