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Plant Genomics

Quantum computing solution to improve wheat, corn and soy yield by targeted gene editing.

OWNER

STATUS

Phase 1 – Outline

QUANTUM APPROACH

Machine Learning (Quantum Inspired)

SDGs

CONTRIBUTORS

QuEra 

Inari

Eversoles Associates

Venturus

FAO

ORIRGIN OF CONTRIIBUTORS

CONTEXT/IMPACT:

The world is currently facing one of the greatest challenges of human history: providing enough nutritious calories for a growing population while reducing the footprint of agricultural production on the environment. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) considers this challenge one of its top priorities: better production of food, which includes ensuring resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in a changing climate and environment. Indeed, climate change and economic and geopolitical instabilities that directly affect food supply in the most vulnerable geographies have been increasing the urgency of addressing these scientific and societal challenges. Developing countries necessitate the optimization of agricultural output in conjunction with conserving the natural resources base via improved crops and crop management systems. Innovative applications of science and technology, in particular various biotechnologies available, may play significant roles in transforming agrifood systems. Gene editing, a technology that allows the modification of a genome more precisely than other forms of breeding, represents a recent advance in genetics and its application to plants. It offers an opportunity to address a range of difficult problems, including those associated with developing durable resistances to diseases, pests and abiotic stresses. It also offers new options for developing adapted traits in neglected and underutilized crop species.

 

HOW COULD QUANTUM HELP:

Gene discovery is still a major challenge for complex traits like yield and new approaches are needed to transform and accelerate the process. One of the main problems is the need for high levels of computational power to treat plant genomes. While the existing human reference genome structure is linear, plant genome data are a lot more complex. The most impactful characteristics are driven by intricate networks in which many of these genes work together. Quantum computers, in particular such based on platforms that naturally allow for encodings of graphs, like neutral atom quantum computers, could help tackle these complex computational challenges. Quantum computing could offer novel approaches to better understand the genetic diversity, adaptation, and evolution of species, and thus, combined with gene editing, positively impact food security, nutrition and environmental sustainability.

2024 | Open Quantum Institute

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Join the Future of Quantum Computing!

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OQI Partners are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Either have served as OQI’s spearheading partners during its incubation phase or have consistently engaged resources to OQI’s work as OQI members for at least a year
  2. Commit to co-shape the OQI’s unique value propositions for the three years of the pilot throughout the 4A’s​
  3. Are vetted by the OQI Advisory Committee
  4. Abide to OQI’s values and openness principles

OQI Members are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or their impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Have disclosed their governance structure
  2. Commit to actively contribute on at least one of the 4A’s assiduously for at least one year​
  3. Have appointed at least one expert from their institution as focal point of contact for OQI and contributor to its working groups
  4. Abide to OQI’s values
  5. Have submitted a complete membership form with supporting documentation and are vetted by the OQI Management Team
  6. Qualify for partner level after having demonstrated their commitment for at least one year​

OQI Friends are individuals (such as experts from the private or public sector, countries, citizens) who are committed to open science, inclusivity and all values as set out in OQI’s charter and associate themselves with the OQI.

Friends socialise the OQI to their communities.

Downloadable PDF version of Charter

 

Description:

The Open Quantum Institute (OQI) is a multilateral governance initiative that promotes global and inclusive access to quantum computing and the development of applications for the benefit of humanity. As a novel science diplomacy instrument, it brings together research, diplomacy, private sector and philanthropy stakeholders. OQI is hosted by CERN during its pilot phase (2024-2026).

 

Mission:

• Accelerating applications for humanity: Realising the full potential of quantum computing to have the widest possible societal impact by accelerating the development of use cases geared towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and succeeding framework , thanks to the combined forces of researchers, developers and entrepreneurs from academia and private sector as well as the United Nations, and large NGOs
• Access for all: Providing global, inclusive and equitable access to a pool of public and private quantum computers and simulators available via the cloud
• Advancing capacity building: Developing educational tools to enable everyone around the world to contribute to the development of quantum computing and make the most of the technology
• Activating multilateral governance for the SDGs: Providing a neutral forum to help shape multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs

 

Values:

• Inclusivity, global scope
  • Enable people from all countries, regardless of whether they have any quantum computing capability of their own, to benefit from and to participate in the development of (i) quantum computing applications that address global challenges, in particular those that are closely related to their own specific challenges, and (ii) the multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs
• Openness
  • Share experiences, knowledge, and methods for the benefit of all, following Open Science best practice
  • Make openly available the results – outcomes of joint activities related to the OQI mission conducted by the OQI community – to society via open repositories and/or through the use of open licences
• Focus on impact
  • Ensure that applications are developed for their quantum computing potential to tackle real-world problems that will benefit humanity
  • Consider and balance their ethical, legal, and societal implications
• Independence
  • Enable everyone to participate free from individual, national, corporate or any other agendas
  • Develop applications with a technology neutral approach.
• Collaboration
  • Foster a community of diverse expertise, backgrounds and geographies, enabled by international cooperation and diplomacy

 

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