Welsh scientists involved in breakthrough set to transform future of climate-resilient oats

A major scientific breakthrough that could lead to healthier diets and more climate-resilient crops has been unveiled, after researchers published the most detailed genetic map of oats ever created.

The findings, released in leading journal Nature, are the result of the PanOat consortium – an international partnership involving plant scientists from across the world, including researchers at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS).

The team has sequenced the full chromosomal complement of 33 oat types and mapped genetic variation across more than 9,000 wild and cultivated varieties.

Oats are prized for their significant health benefits: they are high in fibre, gluten-free, and scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol.

However, despite their popularity, their genomes have long posed challenges.

Chromosomes

Dr Tim Langdon of IBERS said the new atlas finally unlocks those mysteries. “Oats contain three genomes, each larger than the human one,” he explained. “Since they merged in the wild, chromosomes have rearranged and genes have been lost as the plants adapted. That makes combining the best traits incredibly difficult without knowing how those genomes differ.

“The PanOat project has produced the most detailed pangenome ever – effectively a gene library of all the variants breeders are likely to encounter. This will accelerate genomics-assisted breeding, helping deliver improved oats faster and more reliably.”

The breakthrough could allow scientists to combine favourable traits more efficiently, including those linked to nutrition, crop resilience, disease resistance and adaptation to harsher winters.

That last point is particularly important for the UK, which is unusual in growing winter oats.

Successfully transferring traits from spring varieties or wild relatives requires careful genetic matching, something now made easier through the atlas.

Sequenced genomes

Aberystwyth researchers contributed three fully sequenced genomes to the project, funded by UKRI’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The consortium is coordinated by Germany’s Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research.

Alongside the main study, a complementary investigation published in Nature Communications analysed genetic variation across more than 9,000 oat samples worldwide.

It showed that cultivated oats originated from multiple domestication events, and that differences in chromosome structure can create reproductive barriers between lineages.

Dr Catherine Howarth, leader of IBERS’ oat breeding programme, drew on Aberystwyth’s vast seed bank – containing more than a century’s worth of global varieties – to help map these differences.

“No single research institution could have delivered this,” she said. “By pooling expertise globally, we’ve created an extraordinarily detailed genetic atlas. These findings will help us breed climate-resilient oats with improved yields and health benefits.”

Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, BBSRC Executive Chair, called the project “landmark science”.

“This shows how cutting-edge bioscience can help address global challenges – from climate resilience in food systems to healthier diets. Unlocking the oat genome opens new pathways for crop innovation that will benefit farmers, consumers and the environment.”

Both studies are published today in Nature and Nature Communications.