October 5, 2025

Get ready for a dazzling scientific tale! Imperial College London and IIT Bombay have joined forces to fight climate change’s worst effects on farming. Ahead of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Mumbai next week, this research tie-up is stealing the spotlight with its goal to help farmers grow tougher, healthier crops using the superpowers of quantum computing and biotechnology. This exciting project springs from the India-UK Technology Security Initiative (TSI), which was signed last year. Quantum computing is one of TSI’s shining stars! The aim here? To grow healthier soil microbes and find new tricks to protect crops in dry, climate-hit regions. When Starmer teams up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025 starting Tuesday in Mumbai, TSI will be a hot topic. Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, is joining Starmer’s team. The visit marks Starmer's first as UK Prime Minister to India, promising fresh cooperation opportunities. Inside this grand partnership, a powerful duo emerges – Dr Po-Heng (Henry) Lee from Imperial and Dr Indrajit Chakraborty from IIT Bombay. They are using quantum computers to untangle the complex secret chats between plants and soil bacteria. "This collaboration brings together IIT Bombay's expertise in microbial ecology and genomics with Imperial's strengths in bioinformatics and quantum computing simulation," says Dr Lee. The plan? To understand how plants and helpful bacteria 'talk' to boost natural growth and protect crops against drought and extreme weather. These interactions are a maze too tricky for regular computers. But with quantum tech, the team simulates gene regulation and microbial signals, hoping to improve soil health and crop yields, especially in dry soils. Dr Chakraborty shares, "By combining our expertise in microbial ecology, we are opening new frontiers in sustainable agriculture. This partnership not only deepens our understanding of plant-microbe interactions but also demonstrates how international collaboration can drive innovative solutions to climate challenges faced by communities worldwide." A special star in this story is a plant chemical called strigolactone. It acts like a messenger, helping plants and bacteria work side by side. Scientists are also testing biochar, a type of charcoal, to make these partnerships stronger. At IIT Bombay, experiments will explore how synthetic strigolactones affect plant and microbe behavior. Meanwhile, Imperial’s team is busy building quantum circuits that mimic microbial communication. This not only shows the power of blending Indian and UK talents but also strengthens their research friendship. The India Connect Fund, part of Imperial’s new science hub in Bengaluru called Imperial Global India, sponsors this cool project. This fund backs up to 25 joint research projects yearly in fields like AI, quantum science, biotech, and clean energy. Imperial College London, ranked second worldwide, recently opened its Bengaluru hub to boost such innovative teamwork. It has also applied to set up Imperial Global India as a liaison office, awaiting necessary approvals. So, watch out – this India-UK super team is cooking up futuristic farming magic to help our planet and farmers battle climate change with brains and technology!

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: Quantum computing, Biotechnology, Iit bombay, Imperial college london, Climate resilience, India-uk collaboration,