About IPG
The Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) is a community of MU faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and professionals who are pursuing novel, creative, and transformative ideas in the field of plant biology.
Established in 1981, the IPG seeks to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists engaged in research in:
- Plant molecular biology
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Biotechnology
- Evolution
- Ecology
- Bioinformatics
- Computer science
Our aim in integrating these disciplines is to stimulate joint research projects that will enhance our understanding of how plants grow and develop in changing environments.
This mission is accomplished by providing a supportive and flexible environment that allows scientists to explore research that transcends traditional departmental boundaries, by facilitating the sharing of ideas and resources among faculty members and students, and by creating opportunities for collaboration through interdisciplinary meetings, seminars, and an annual symposium.
The IPG is a community of over 50 faculty-led research teams representing three colleges – Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Arts and Science, and Engineering – as well as the School of Medicine and the USDA-ARS Plant Genetics Research Unit. Within these units, five academic divisions/departments are actively engaged in the IPG: Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Natural Resources, and Plant Science and Technology. Several members of the IPG hold joint appointments with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC) in St. Louis, Missouri.
The IPG is recognized as one of the top fundamental plant biology research and training programs in the nation. The overarching research theme of the IPG focuses on understanding how plants respond to changing environments. Within this theme, IPG research projects can be grouped by studies that focus on genetic discovery and diversity, on developmental mechanisms, and on biotic and abiotic interactions.
The diversity of approaches being pursued and plants being studied as well as the interactive nature of the group enhance the IPG’s opportunity to design unique solutions to current problems as well as pressing problems yet to be recognized. One of the goals of the IPG is to generate the knowledge base needed to meet the increasing needs for food, fiber, and health for the future.
David Braun
Director, Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG)