INCREASE – Intelligent Collections of Food Legumes Genetic Resources for European Agrofood Systems

Instytut Genetyki Roślin Polskiej Akademii Nauk

The Institute of Plant Genetics is an important research center for biological and agricultural sciences, active for more than 60 years with a special expertise in the field of genetics and genomics of crop and model plants. The mission of IPG PAS is to conduct and promote research meeting the highest standards.

The total number of academic staff of the Institute, including PhD candidates, is 74 with 39 women and 35 men. The Institute’s staff cooperate actively in interdisciplinary national and international cooperation with leading institutes/groups, integrating its research into the national research environment and the European Research Area (ERA). The scientists address new challenges of basic research, develop innovative methods to solve emerging problems (including those due to climate change), disseminate obtained results and support sustainable agriculture.

Fields of activity include

  • genetics, cytogenetics, genomics – plant genome organisation and functions, genome evolution
  • phenotyping, phenomics – plant phenotype characterising, including high throughput non-destructive phenotyping
  • plant resistance - molecular basis of plant tolerance to abiotic stresses and resistance to pathogens, cross-talk between host organism and pathogen
  • metabolomics - identification and biological activity analysis of secondary metabolites in plant - pathogen interaction and in plant responses to abiotic stresses
  • biotechnology - improvement of crop values by means of new biotechnological methods,
  • biometry and bioinformatics – statistical, informatic and bioinformatic methods for the analysis and integration of results of biological experiments
  • integrative plant biology - growth and development of organs in higher plants

The IPG PAS strives to strengthen and promote its research potential to be internationally competitive. The Institute obtained two ERA Chair grants: BIO-TALENT (The Creation of the Department of Integrative Plant Biology, FP7-ERA Chairs-Pilot Call-2013), the first ERA Chair project in Poland, and NANOPLANT (The Creation of the Department of Plant Nanotechnology, H2020-WIDESPREAD-2018-04). A number of other international and national projects have been also realised such as the ongoing EPPN2020 (European Plant Phenotyping Network 2020, H2020-INFRAIA-2016-1).

The Institute is the owner of all premises including molecular labs/ microscopy lab/ ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with high resolution mass spectrometry/ controlled environment chambers/ greenhouses and experimental fields.

Role within INCREASE

IGR PAN will address questions concerning lupin genetic resources conservation, characterisation, and maintenance. IGR PAN will establish the lupin intelligent collection structure in work package 3. We will assemble the R-collection, starting with the development of the SSD lines crucial for further analyses of the core collections. IGR-PAN will also be responsible for seed increase and distribution, regarding the action of the Secondary Seed Increase, which will allow seeds of T-CORE and H-CORE to be provided to work package 4 for data production. We will contribute to other work packages focused on databases establishment and data integration (work package 2), as well as large-scale genotyping/phenotyping research on lupins (work packages 4 and 5). Importantly, we will take part in training, dissemination and communication activities (work packages 1, 6 and 7). IGR PAN, as a member of the Steering Committee, will support and guide the development and timely implemention of the project throughout.

Main contacts

Photo of Dr Karolina Susek
Dr Karolina Susek
Lupin Crop Leader / Genome evolution, chromosome rearrangements, seed size variation
Photo of Dr Magdalena Kroc
Dr Magdalena Kroc
Lupin Crop Co-Leader / Domestication traits, markers in plant breeding alkaloid synthesis pathway
Photo of Katarzyna Czepiel
Katarzyna Czepiel
Gene expression, alkaloid synthesis pathway
Photo of Magdalena Tomaszewska
Magdalena Tomaszewska
Genetic resources, phenotypic variability in lupins