UPSC is currently working with different Networks and Cooperations

• EvolTree UPSC
• Developmental biology of plants
• UPRA : European Open Laboratory UPSC and INRA
• EPSO
• Agreement between Center for Molecular Plant Physiology (PlaCe) at KVL in Copenhagen and UPSC (pdf)

European initiative in Plant Biology

The Umeå Plant Science Center (UPSC, Sweden) and the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA, France) have created a "European Open Laboratory" UPRA.

The 10th of October 2005, in Versailles (France), the UPSC (Umeå Plant Science Center) and two departments of the INRA (Department of Plant Biology and Department Forest Genetics and Ecology) have created a "European Laboratory without walls" associating both institutions in the frame of a bilateral cooperation agreement. The dedicate complementarities of both Research Centres in different topics of systems biology and plant genomics has naturally led to the creation of this European open laboratory.

One mission of this partnership is to join common efforts on research projects on Plant Biology. A special emphasis is the transfer of knowledge and tools on a model genetic species, Arabidopsis thaliana, and the main tree Populus. A second mission is to build a European joined structure to take over the training of young scientists through short or long terms exchanges between France and Sweden. The Universities associated to UPRA laboratories are therefore expected to benefit from this privileged cooperation.

The Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) is a new centre of experimental biology in Umeå (Sweden). It was formed in 1999 by the association of the Department of Plant Physiology from Umeå University and the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in order to improve the plant research environment and meet the highest international standards. It has become a leading site on researches on the genomics and the physiology of forest trees. The 34 groups have focused on genomics of poplar, ecophysiology and physiology of tree species and integrative approaches for plant functional genomics. Although applications in wood quality and production is one major goal of the UPSC, the centre has also made significant breakthrough in developing cutting-edge science which allows the transfer of basic research on model species to major perennial tree crops. The number of employees at UPSC is about 160 and includes 46 PhD students and 34 post-docs.

The main French partners of UPRA are:

• The laboratories from the Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB) and the Plant Genomics Laboratory (URGV) from the Versailles centre of the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA). The INRA-Versailles centre has a long-standing and respected expertise in the field of plant biology, including genomics, genetics, breeding, metabolism, cell biology and development. During the last decade, the centre has established an internationally recognized reputation in Arabidopsis molecular genetics and has contributed to the development of several innovative tools for plant functional genomics. An average number of 300 employees from which, 80 post-docs, PhD and other students are working in these laboratories.
• The laboratories from the Department of Ecology of Forest, Prairies and Aquatic environments, located in three different centres (Bordeaux, Orléans and Nancy). They have long standing experience in genetics, physiology and ecology of forest trees. They have several projects related to wood formation, interactions with symbiotic or pathogens associated organisms.

Contacts:

EPSO, the European Plant Science Organisation, is an independent academic organisation currently representing 61 institutional members bringing together more than 204 research institutes, departments and universities from 29 countries in Europe and beyond.

EPSO’s mission is to improve the impact and visibility of plant science in Europe. EPSO's top priorities are to facilitate the understanding of plant science, to boost funding for basic research and to coordinate research activities at the national and European levels – and beyond.

The association was founded in 2000 to represent the needs and interests of European plant science. Since then, it discusses with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and national politicians recommendations on European science policy. EPSO was a key driver to ensure that funding is available for plant research in the Sixth and Seventh Framework Programmes for Research (FP6 - FP7) and to foster the establishment of the ERA-NET on Plant Genomics. In 2004, EPSO together with EuropaBio started one of the first European Technology Platforms “Plants for the Future” that launched its final Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) at the European Parliament in Brussels in June 2007. The SRA presents a vision of plant research for the next 20 years and identifies challenges for Europe’s society and economy to which the plant sector can contribute. The Technology Platform currently works on the SRA implementation at the European and national levels, with a focus on promoting and advocating strategic research and internationally competitive research.

EPSO has one NGO, two European industrial organisations and individual companies as observers. It also has links to specialised organisations in the area of plant and life sciences in Europe, and plant science organisations worldwide.

EPSO organises a biannual conference that is one of the top plant science events not to be missed. After Switzerland (2002), Italy (2004), Hungary (2006) and France (2008), the next EPSO conference will take place from 29 August to 2 September 2010 in Finland. Scientists from Europe and other continents will present and discuss cutting edge science. Together with non-plant scientists they will build an interface to new areas.

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