Expertise
Our researchers have made major discoveries in plant science and are tackling real-world challenges to feed a growing global population in a changing climate.
Established as a dedicated plant science institute in 1997
We have become a world-leading institute for plant research with expertise in:
- Cell Biology
- Genetics and Genomics
- Adaptation and Evolution
- Immunity
- Synthetic Biology
Our strength lies in the depth and diversity of plant topics we cover
We have a strong track record in ground-breaking discoveries that have transformed our understanding of how plants grow and interact with their environment, including how plants:
- Keep time
- Utilise light signals
- Develop specialised tissues and cells
- Respond to changes in their environment
- Defend themselves against attackers
- Distribute themselves through geographic space and geological time
What we offer
Underpinning frontier bioscience - to uncover the biology of plants
![Biological Sciences Glasshouses provide plant growth facilities. [Paul Dodds]](https://edwebprofiles.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_breakpoints_theme_uoe_tv_1x/public/thumbnails/image/biological_sciences_glasshouses_provide_plant_growth_facilities.png?itok=8sePqLXe)
Sustainable solutions - for future food security and conservation biology
Access to innovation and state-of-the-art technologies - to address global challenges
Unrivalled network of expertise that generates a food research pipeline from lab to plate
Consultancy - for industry, government policy makers and NGOs
Training opportunities - for the next generation of plant science leaders
Work with us
Our multi-million-pound, state-of-the-art facilities can help you advance your research, whether you are working on molecular or whole-plant scales.
We can provide you with a unique research pipeline from underpinning frontier bioscience through to product development - extending our reach to crops and ecosystems.
Our partnerships mean that we cover nearly all plant science fields. Extensive collaborations with academia, industry and policy-makers around the world, allow our research to move from greenhouses to global solutions in a rapidly changing world.