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T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

ASL Completes Seventh Acquisition
March 2023

ASL Completes Seventh Acquisition

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Sharples Acquired by ASL Group
February 2023

Sharples Acquired by ASL Group

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Stagwell (STGW) Marketing Cloud acquires Maru Group
October 2022

Stagwell (STGW) Marketing Cloud acquires Maru Group

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary announces Promotion
October 2022

Primary announces Promotion

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

ASL Group Completes Further Acquisition
September 2022

ASL Group Completes Further Acquisition

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary appoints new Chief Financial Officer
June 2022

Primary appoints new Chief Financial Officer

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Skill and You acquires ICS Learn
March 2022

Skill and You acquires ICS Learn

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Sells Readypower to Angel Trains
January 2022

Primary Sells Readypower to Angel Trains

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Invests in Sigma Sports
March 2021

Primary Invests in Sigma Sports

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

ICS Learn Acquires Acacia Learning
January 2021

ICS Learn Acquires Acacia Learning

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Announces Two Promotions for the New Year
January 2021

Primary Announces Two Promotions for the New Year

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

ICS Learn Acquires Development Processes Group
October 2020

ICS Learn Acquires Development Processes Group

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Readypower Acquires RRV Assets of Holyrail
July 2020

Readypower Acquires RRV Assets of Holyrail

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

ASL Group Expands into the North West
February 2020

ASL Group Expands into the North West

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs the MBO of Foster+Freeman
August 2019

Primary Backs the MBO of Foster+Freeman

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backed ASL Group Acquires Reprotec
July 2019

Primary Backed ASL Group Acquires Reprotec

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs MBO of ASL Group
June 2019

Primary Backs MBO of ASL Group

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

VJ Technology Acquires Mainline Products
May 2019

VJ Technology Acquires Mainline Products

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

New Board Appointment Drives Metamark International Expansion
November 2018

New Board Appointment Drives Metamark International Expansion

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Maru Group Acquires Lissted
October 2018

Maru Group Acquires Lissted

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Sells Esteem Systems to Roc Technologies
October 2018

Primary Sells Esteem Systems to Roc Technologies

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backed Maru Group Acquires Hispanic Reseach Panel Tu Cuentas
June 2018

Primary Backed Maru Group Acquires Hispanic Reseach Panel Tu Cuentas

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs MBO of VJ Technology
June 2018

Primary Backs MBO of VJ Technology

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs MBO of ICS Learn
May 2018

Primary Backs MBO of ICS Learn

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Metamark acquires Trimwel
May 2018

Metamark acquires Trimwel

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

New Acquisition for Portfolio Company Readypower
December 2017

New Acquisition for Portfolio Company Readypower

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Welcome Futurist Ray Hammond to Cliveden House
October 2017

Primary Welcome Futurist Ray Hammond to Cliveden House

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Two New Senior Hires for Metamark
October 2017

Two New Senior Hires for Metamark

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs the MBO of Metamark
May 2017

Primary Backs the MBO of Metamark

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Hires new Investment Manager
May 2017

Primary Hires new Investment Manager

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Announces New Promotions
April 2017

Primary Announces New Promotions

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Awarded UK Mid-Cap Deal of the Year
April 2017

Primary Awarded UK Mid-Cap Deal of the Year

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Announces Sale of Thompson & Morgan
March 2017

Primary Announces Sale of Thompson & Morgan

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs MBO of Readypower
February 2017

Primary Backs MBO of Readypower

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Sale of Leisure Pass Nominated as UK Mid-Market Deal of the Year
January 2017

Sale of Leisure Pass Nominated as UK Mid-Market Deal of the Year

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

David Richard Promoted to Assistant Director
January 2017

David Richard Promoted to Assistant Director

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene
January 2017

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs Third Acquisition for Maru Group January 2017
January 2017

Primary Backs Third Acquisition for Maru Group January 2017

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Sells Leisure Pass Group
December 2016

Primary Sells Leisure Pass Group

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs Further Acquisition for Maru Group
April 2016

Primary Backs Further Acquisition for Maru Group

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Invests in Maru Group
February 2016

Primary Invests in Maru Group

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Thompson and Morgan Develops "Egg and Chips" Plant
January 2016

Thompson and Morgan Develops "Egg and Chips" Plant

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Esteem Wins Dell Enterprise Partner Award
October 2015

Esteem Wins Dell Enterprise Partner Award

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Esteem Recognised with Prestigious Oracle Partner of the Year Award
October 2015

Esteem Recognised with Prestigious Oracle Partner of the Year Award

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Sells Pacific Direct to ADA Cosmetics
September 2015

Primary Sells Pacific Direct to ADA Cosmetics

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary grows Manchester office with addition of Chris Hopwood
September 2015

Primary grows Manchester office with addition of Chris Hopwood

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

New Appointment for Primary as Dayna Currie joins Manchester Office
July 2015

New Appointment for Primary as Dayna Currie joins Manchester Office

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Esteem Wins Oracle Storage Award
March 2015

Esteem Wins Oracle Storage Award

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Cutty Sark Among New London Pass Attractions for Summer 2015
March 2015

Cutty Sark Among New London Pass Attractions for Summer 2015

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Announces Sale of Amtech to Trimble
November 2014

Primary Announces Sale of Amtech to Trimble

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Backs Buy-Out of GatenbySanderson
November 2014

Primary Backs Buy-Out of GatenbySanderson

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Expands Team with New Partner Appointment
September 2014

Primary Expands Team with New Partner Appointment

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Exceeds Target for Fund IV
August 2014

Primary Exceeds Target for Fund IV

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Gothenberg City Card to Use Leisure Pass LPOS System
August 2014

Gothenberg City Card to Use Leisure Pass LPOS System

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Esteem Achieves Citrix Solution Advisor Platinum Status
August 2014

Esteem Achieves Citrix Solution Advisor Platinum Status

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary Expands Team with Appointment of David Richard
July 2014

Primary Expands Team with Appointment of David Richard

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Esteem Helps Accelerate Research Capability Across Northern England with Super Computer
July 2014

Esteem Helps Accelerate Research Capability Across Northern England with Super Computer

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Primary awarded Mid-Cap Deal of the Year for sale of Napier Turbochargers
April 2014

Primary awarded Mid-Cap Deal of the Year for sale of Napier Turbochargers

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Leisure Pass teams up with Gourmet Society to launch expanded London Pass Dining Guide
April 2014

Leisure Pass teams up with Gourmet Society to launch expanded London Pass Dining Guide

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Second Amtech BIM Conference another massive success
March 2014

Second Amtech BIM Conference another massive success

T&M Seed Leads to Discovery of Supergene

Leisure Pass Group joins up for New China Tourism Campaign
January 2014

Leisure Pass Group joins up for New China Tourism Campaign

Research involving primula seed from a packet purchased from the 1995 Thompson & Morgan catalogue has resulted in the identification of a cluster of genes responsible for reproductive characteristics in flowers noted by Charles Darwin over 150 years ago.

Darwin noticed that some plant species with two distinct forms of flower, where male and female reproductive organs were of differing lengths, had evolved that way to promote ‘out-crossing’ by insect pollinators. ‘Out-crossing’ is the process whereby plants are pollinated by pollen from a different plant of the same species. The process of ‘out-crossing’ means that genetic diversity is increased, which reduces the possibility of the plant being subject to disease or genetic abnormalities.

Professor Phil Gilmartin from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA) has been involved in the research of heterostyly – the term given to Darwin’s insight into the significance of the two distinct forms of flower - for a large part of his career. His team has recently announced a major scientific breakthrough: they have identified exactly which part of these species’ genetic code made them that way.

In a press release dated 2nd December 2016, Professor Gilmartin says: “This study answers some of the crucial questions that have been asked since Darwin’s time, and for me since I bought my first packet of Primula seeds twenty years ago”.

Prof. Gilmartin tweeted Thompson and Morgan to say that his discovery had all started with a packet of Primula seeds that he had bought from the seed merchants’ 1995 catalogue – and he added a photo of the catalogue’s now worn front cover. In a conversation with Prof. Gilmartin, it was established that the variety in question was Primula ‘Blue Jeans’. He said that the choice of this particular F1 Hybrid Primula variety was pivotal as it gave a very homogenous parent line on which to base his research on.

Researchers mapped the plant’s genes and sequenced the Primula genome to find the specific gene cluster responsible for creating the differing flower forms. Prof. Gilmartin said that this insight has profound implications for our understanding of a key evolutionary innovation of flowering plants.

The research - and discoveries such as this latest breakthrough – by scientists such as the UEA team are vital to understanding the mechanism of pollination. The more we understand the genetics which underpin the development of flowers and the reproduction of different species, the more we can discover about the entire system of pollination, which in turn strengthens our understanding of biodiversity and food security – both topical issues.

Professor Gilmartin added: “With challenges such as climate change and its effects on plants, crops and their insect pollinators, it’s even more important to understand the pollination mechanisms and how species can and will react”.

 

Contact Neil Wallace for more information

Tel: +44(0) 20 7920 4800
Email: neil@primary.pe

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Mar 2017

Primary Announces Sale of Thompson & Morgan

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