Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 7h

What’s the greatest hurdle in improving food security: the science or the system? Join us on 16 October to hear from an expert panel + ARIA Creators and get a taste of tomorrow’s crops. Register here: link.aria.org.uk/VC-WFD-BS

A graphic showing the four Synthetic Plants Creators delivering lightning talks: Alan Houghton, Pallavi Singh, Oli Pritchard Moore, and Karen Sarkisyan.

A graphic showing Ian Toth, who will deliver a workshop on the History of the (not so humble) Potato.

A graphic showing the panel lineup: Freddie Theodoulou, Rene Geurts, Sonja Billerbeck, and Fabrizio Ticchiarelli-Marjot (moderator).

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 5d

We are now inviting concept papers from interdisciplinary teams, due 27 Oct 2025.Full proposals open 1 Dec 2025 and close 15 Jan 2026.

Find out more here: link.aria.org.uk/PM-bs

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 5d

We are launching a new programme, Precision Mitochondria programme. Backed by £55m, it aims to create a foundational toolkit for engineering the mitochondrial genome in vivo.

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 7d

On Friday, we're launching a major new funding call: backed by £55m, Precision Mitochondria (led by Nathan Wolfe) aims to make the mitochondrial genome programmable in vivo.

Read the programme thesis here + stay tuned for more: www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-...

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 12d

👀 Our latest Substack is live – discover:
– The launch of Innovator Circles
– Insights into the FRO-Founder Residency with @convergentresearch.bsky.social
– A Q&A with @micromotility.bsky.social on natural computation in single-celled microorganisms
+ more ↓

link.aria.org.uk/sepsubstack-bluesky

Innovator Circles, FROs, and a look into biological computation

The latest from ARIA, including our new Innovator Circles initiative, inside Convergent Research's FRO-Founder Residency, and a Q&A with Nature Computes Better Creator Kirsty Wan.

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 13d

For our Substack, ARIA's Product Manager Pranay Shah breaks down what we learned from the pilot: link.aria.org.uk/ICsubstack-b... (3/3)

Innovator Circles: Cultivating the ambitious communities where breakthroughs begin

As we open applications for Innovator Circles, Pranay Shah, ARIA Product Manager breaks down what we learned from our pilot, and why small investments can unlock enormous potential.

link.aria.org.uk

Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 13d

We’re supporting Innovator Circle Leads to bring peers together and explore bold ideas – the kind that could spark the next world-changing breakthrough.

Apply by 23 October: link.aria.org.uk/IC-launch-bl... (2/3)

Innovator Circles

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · 13d

Breakthroughs don't happen in isolation. They emerge when ambitious scientists gather to test bold ideas and challenge conventional thinking.

Today we're launching ARIA Innovator Circles – to support these essential spaces where researchers can raise each other's ambition. (1/3)

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Reposted by Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)

Convergent Research @convergentresearch.bsky.social · 22d

This June, we kicked off our first-ever UK FRO Founder Residency as an Activation Partner for the United Kingdom’s Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), @aria-research.bsky.social.

Read more: www.essentialtechnology.blog/p/inside-the...

Inside the UK FRO Founder Residency with ARIA

a big step forward in how we source and incubate new FRO projects

www.essentialtechnology.blog

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Sep 2

We’re looking to fund ~10 short discovery projects to dive into potential research directions for a programme within our Engineering Ecosystem Resilience opportunity space, led by @yannickwurm.bsky.social.

Find out more + apply by 18 September: link.aria.org.uk/eer-preprogd...

Engineering Ecosystem Resilience

Living organisms underpin our food, climate stability, and materials – ecological collapse threatens the foundations of civilisation. By pairing advanced monitoring with resilience-boosting interventi...

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 29

We're giving you a broader look into ARIA in our new Substack format. 🚀

From potential new programme thinking from
@jacquescarolan.bsky.social, to insights from Creators in Robot Dexterity, dive into this month's issue + subscribe to get our posts to your inbox. ↓

link.aria.org.uk/substack-aug...

Massively scalable neurotech, bespoke engineering solutions, and new material systems

The latest from ARIA, including new potential programme thinking from PD Jacques Carolan.

link.aria.org.uk

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Reposted by Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)

Jacques Carolan @jacquescarolan.bsky.social · Aug 29

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we scale neurotech.

Current approaches (e.g. DBS for PD) aren’t meeting the need. Emerging ones may fare even worse.

That’s why I’m scoping a new @aria-research.bsky.social programme to develop neurotech built for scale.

Check out my post +share feedback!👇

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 28

Aircraft capable of staying aloft for years could deliver digital services with much greater flexibility, speed + precision than current satellites.

In our new thesis, Perpetual Flight, PD Rico Chandra proposes getting there by harnessing atmospheric energy.
link.aria.org.uk/pf-thesis-bs

Scoping Our Planet

Current Earth system measurements have serious gaps that lead to uncertainties in weather forecasting and climate predictions. By harnessing the power of optics we can fill these gaps, equipping socie...

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 21

We’re also looking for a Technical Specialist to support Programme Director Brian Wang on the programme he’s building in this space.

Find out more + apply: aria.pinpointhq.com/en/postings/...

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 21

What if we could engineer the innate immune system for broad, long-lasting resilience?

Our latest thesis, Sustained Viral Resistance, proposes using AI, synthetic biology + materials chemistry to catalyse a new era of innate immunotherapies.

Dive in/give feedback: link.aria.org.uk/sii-progthes...

Sculpting Innate Immunity

The immune system sustains human health via the complementary action of its two branches: the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Precision modulation of innate immunity can unlock transformative ...

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 20

As part of TA3 in Robot Dexterity, we convened a group of experts to tackle core challenges in robotics: modularity and interoperability.

From insights collected from across the robotics community to actionable recommendations, dive into the outcomes here: link.aria.org.uk/rd-programme...

Meet the Creators | Robot Dexterity

We're funding 26 teams with expertise across multiple disciplines and a strong institutional mix, spanning startups, university labs, public research institutions, and large companies.

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 19

How do we ensure the next generation of powerful AI systems can be deployed responsibly and safely?

Safeguarded AI is bringing teams together to build a shared, open-source platform where scientists, engineers, and AI can collaborate.

Learn more ↓
link.aria.org.uk/sai-scaffold...

Meet the Creators | Safeguarded AI

Meet the Creators working on ARIA's Safeguarded AI programme. Backed by £59m, this programme aims to develop the safety standards we need for transformational AI.

link.aria.org.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 14

From @bas.ac.uk's underwater drones to Oshen's self-powered sailing robots, our Forecasting Tipping Points Creators are working to better understand the long-term trends of earth systems – and develop a crucial early-warning system for predicting climate tipping points. ↓

The Economist @economist.com · Aug 14

Scientists reckon they have arrived at a decent—though not perfect—understanding of which parts of the climate system are closest to a point of no return. Working out just how close they are is a challenging task econ.st/4lqKkm8

Photo: Alamy

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 12

"It's in our DNA to experiment."

In our latest Substack, ARIA's first CTO Ant Rowstron and founding F-Spec @alicejpettitt.bsky.social lay out the impact they're here to have – from increasing entropy across our spaces to leveraging AI to reshape how we work. ↓

link.aria.org.uk/BS-julysubst...

Entropy, connection and translation at ARIA

Dive into our latest opportunity spaces, join our first Deep Tech Collider, and hear how our new CTO, Ant, and F-Spec, Alice, are exploring new frontiers.

ariaresearch.substack.com

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Aug 11

Civilisation is reliant on nature, but global ecosystems are collapsing. In our latest opportunity space, PD Yannick Wurm is asking: how can we engineer resilient ecosystems to enable both humanity and nature to thrive?

Dive in + share feedback: link.aria.org.uk/EER-BS

Engineering Ecosystem Resilience

Civilisation is reliant on nature for our health, food, medicine, and materials – however, ecosystems worldwide are collapsing. Advanced monitoring and novel, targeted interventions could reverse this...

link.aria.org.uk

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Reposted by Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)

The Pallavi Singh Lab @thepallavisinghlab.bsky.social · Aug 1

🌿 Did you know? @thepallavisingh.bsky.social has received a landmark @aria-research.bsky.social grant to develop PlantPlug, a project to tranasform mistletoe into a programmable interface that helps host plants thrive under climate stress.

🔗 Read more: www.essex.ac.uk/news/2025/07...
#PlantScience

Landmark grant to turn mistletoe into climate-fighting plant tech | University of Essex

www.essex.ac.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Jul 31

We're part of an international coalition backing the AI Security Institute in a new research project focused on AI behaviour and control.

Learn more about this work + how it complements our Safeguarded AI programme ↓

www.gov.uk/government/n...

AI Security Institute launches international coalition to safeguard AI development

AI Security Institute joins forces with Canadian counterpart, Amazon, Anthropic and civil society in new research project focused on AI behaviour and control.

www.gov.uk

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Jul 30

Help us bring the full power of modern genetic engineering to the mitochondrion for the first time.

Apply by 24 August to be a Technical Specialist supporting Nathan Wolfe on the programme he’ll direct:
aria.pinpointhq.com/en/postings/...

Technical Specialist - Mitochondrial Biology

Job Opening: Technical Specialist - Mitochondrial Biology at ARIA in London.

aria.pinpointhq.com

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Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Jul 24

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a root cause of many major diseases.

Our new programme thesis – Precision Mitochondria, developed by PD Nathan Wolfe – proposes to build a revolutionary toolkit for editing the mitochondrial genome.

Read + share your thoughts: link.aria.org.uk/PM-thesis-bl...

Bioenergetic Engineering

Genetic engineering now lets us control life’s information, yet the engineering of life’s energy remains underdeveloped. A powerful set of new tools could bridge the gap, enabling breakthroughs rangin...

link.aria.org.uk

Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) @aria-research.bsky.social · Jul 24

Ages of human history are often defined by the materials we use. But in our latest opportunity space, PD Ivan Jayapurna is asking: what if the next age could instead be defined by our ability to assemble molecules?

Dive in + share feedback: link.aria.org.uk/MA-bluesky

Manufacturing Abundance

Ages of human history are defined by materials that transformed societies and mark breakthroughs in mastery over matter. Rather than a single material, the next age will be defined by our ability to a...

link.aria.org.uk

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