As part of its initiative to grow and nurture an inclusive and diverse team, FA Bio’s ‘Culture Champion’ award recognises and celebrates those who make significant contributions to the team by living the company values. Each quarter, the team votes those individuals worthy of the award, recognising their contributions to the company culture and innovation.
The latest recipient of ‘FA Bio’s Culture Champion’ award is Ruchitha Rajan. As a Glasshouse Technician, Ruchitha is responsible for planning and designing our experiments, setting up the glasshouse activities, planting the plants and conducting the randomisation activities inside the glasshouse. She assesses how each of our different candidates is interacting with the plants as a biostimulant for their growth or as a biocontrol to reduce diseases. At the end of each experiment, she measures the different parameters to check how each plant is growing and identifies any positive or negative impacts.

In the previous quarter Ruchitha was also responsible for implementing a new image software into our research and development processes that allows for more efficient analysis of plant growth and disease management. The new software has initially been used as an analysis tool in the testing of a biocontrol agent for wheat crops against the pathogen Zymoseptoria. As well as helping to improve the efficiency of our analysis process, it has also provided more accurate assessments of infection rates and evaluation of how FA Bio’s in-house candidates are working to reduce those infections. This also minimises the risk of human error and improves the value of our experiments.
Ruchitha has had a keen interest in plant related works since completing her first master’s degree in Biotechnology in 2017. Following this, she has focused her time on learning the different benefits of fungi and bacteria on plants by means of growth and controlling infections and gaining experience with the technologies to support these studies. She came to the UK in 2022 to take her studies even deeper with a second master’s degree in Medical Microbiology, which motivated her to start a career in sustainable agriculture and plant microbiology.
Ruchitha is passionate about sustainable agriculture and reducing the use of chemicals to protect the environment and is proud to be a part of the FA Bio team developing revolutionary solutions to improve the health of our staple food supplies. Our mission is to help decarbonise crop production and be a step-change in regenerative agriculture by discovering bioproducts that minimise the environmental impact of farming whilst maximising yields.
Ruchitha Rajan said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award and to be recognised by my team for my efforts in implementing our new analysis software tool. Working at FA Bio gives me a strong sense of purpose, knowing that I’m contributing to the reduction of highly toxic chemical applications in the field, ultimately helping to protect human lives. The team’s diverse culture and the collaborative spirit across the company have provided invaluable learning experiences, both about people and plants. We all feel that our individual and collective contributions are crucial in driving the company towards its mission of revolutionising sustainable agriculture and creating a better world for future generations.”
Pilar Diez, R&D Project Manager and Glasshouse Lead at FA Bio, comments: “We are incredibly proud of Ruchitha for her hard work and dedication in implementing the new analysis software tool. Her contributions have had a significant impact, not only in improving our processes but also in driving our mission to reduce harmful chemical applications in agriculture. Ruchitha embodies the collaborative and innovative spirit we strive for at FA Bio, and her passion for our shared goals is truly inspiring. It’s wonderful to see her efforts recognised, and I have no doubt she will continue to play a key role in our journey toward revolutionising sustainable agriculture.”