IJPB (Jean-Pierre Bourgin Institute)
February 11 2022UMR 1318 AgroParisTech, INRAE, Université Paris-Saclay
General background information
The IJPB brings together a unique collection of resources and skills in biology, chemistry and mathematics, dedicated to plant science research.
It has a broad range of activities, extending from basic research on plant development and physiology, to more applied research relating to the food and non-food uses of plants in a context of sustainable agriculture. The research teams of the IJPB are interested, in particular, in the evolution and functioning of genomes, the response of plants to the stresses they experience in their environment, and multiple fundamental aspects of plant biology, from the level of the cell, to that of the whole plant (development, physiology and metabolism).
This fundamental research will form the cornerstone of biotechnological approaches at various levels, from the optimization of plant breeding methods to the characterization of diverse molecules of plant origin (cellulose, lignins, lipids) and their industrial uses.
Fields of research
The unit comprises three scientific departments :
- Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of genome function following exposure to biotic or abiotic stresses (epigenetic control, transposons) and the epigenetic regulation of gene expression by small RNA molecules.
- Understanding the genetic bases of adaptation and response to single and combined abiotic stress using natural variation as a source of biodiversity.
- Studies of the structure-function relationships of the genome during meiosis (recombination) or genomic shocks (polyploidization), with fundamental and applied perspectives.
- Studies of the sexual part of the plant life cycle (gametes, reproduction.
- Proposition of innovative techniques for genome editing, and their application to species of agronomic interest
- Studies of the responses of plants to environmental constraints in terms of their physiology, metabolism and development, essentially through genetic, genomic and molecular approaches, from a systems biology standpoint that will also provide knowledge for the domain of agroecology
- Studies of metabolic adaptation to environmental fluctuations to address the diversity of plants related to geography, development or the abiotic and biotic environment and understand the fascinating and complex diversity of plant metabolism.
- Elucidating of the hormonal and nutritional signaling processes during development and during adaptation to the environment.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant-plant or plant-microorganism (pathogenic or beneficial) communication in particular in response to contrasting nitrogen availability.
- Exploration of the network of interactions at work in seed metabolism during germination or in the context of longevity.
- Exploring the interaction networks during seed germination and in relation to the longevity of the seed.D
- Development of strategies to produce plant-derived products, and the required biological or chemical transformation processes for a sustainable bioeconomy.
- Improving the match between plant resources and their uses (bioenergy, plant fibers, green chemistry).
- Studies of plant cells and their mechanisms of division, growth and differentiation
- Analysis and modeling of the mechanisms underlying higher plant development, at the levels of the cell, organ and whole plant
- Development of innovative modeling methods, based on imaging, in particular, for the development of a multiscale understanding of development
- Studies of the mechanisms underlying wall integrity and composition, and their importance in situations of biotic or abiotic stress.
- Elucidating the mechanisms underlying the synthesis, structure and biological function of lipids, proteins and metabolites in seeds.
- Studies of the cell wall, its composition, structure and construction, in biological models and in species of agronomic and/or industrial interest.
- Proposition of innovative biotechnological strategies for plant resources and their use.