Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences

The Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences ( DCPS ) is a research focus ( Focus Area ) of the Free University of Berlin, in place since June 2009. Man wanted in Berlin- Dahlem, create a place with a long tradition in plant sciences, an international center. Also, the Botanical Garden, one of the largest botanical gardens in the world, is part of the Dahlem Centre. Many disciplines of plant sciences are involved; interdisciplinary research collaborations are planned; Public relations, as information events for the general public, should be an important part of the site. The employees work in research and in teaching. On Dahlem Centre employs around 250 scientists and other staff.

History and Mission

Already in the first decades of the 20th century there were in Berlin- Dahlem an internationally important center of plant science. On this historic foundation building the Dahlem Centre on. The existing in the southwest of Berlin concentration of research and collection items is unique in Germany. The Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences is funded by the Institutional Strategy of the University, which was awarded as part of the Excellence Initiative. Here so far are mostly separated working areas of research such as molecular and cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, plant physiology, developmental biology, Systematic Botany, taxonomy, plant geography, ecology and Pharmaceutical Biology collaborate and new research fields are developed. The research aims to contribute to a better understanding of plant diversity, to maintain and to enable sustainable use. Sustainability is a major concern also in the promotion of young scientists. Young scientists should be supported at the beginning of her career. Currently, this research seven independent junior research groups. In the Graduate School of Plant Sciences under the auspices of the Dahlem Research School PhD students are trained.

The DCPS is a major hub for regional, national and international network plant research; it should make himself an international reputation through the combination of molecular and organismic -oriented working groups and cooperation with partner institutions.

Research priorities

The DCPS has two scientific themes: "Function and Diversity " and " plants and the environment ." Research from both areas should be made available in the context of sustainable use and protection of plant diversity. The spectrum ranges from the development of genetic resources ( Applied Plant Sciences ) to the management of various ecosystems. Through public relations, the results are passed in an intelligible form also to a wider audience. Research on function and diversity should lead to new insights into the evolution of morphological and functional diversity of plants during evolution. The evolution of new features as well as the mechanisms of genome evolution are investigated by combining comparative genomics with phylogenetic, biochemical and molecular biological methods. Research topics include the formation and function of signal transduction processes in the plant cell, the role of many plant secondary metabolites, the absorption and utilization of nutrients and the development of morphological characteristics. Working basis, the rapidly growing information from genome sequencing. These now go far beyond the date at the center standing model plant foam cress ( Arabidopsis) and open up many new research approaches that will contribute to a better understanding of gene function and the development of biological diversity. The close connection to the newly established Berlin Consortium for Genomics in Biodiversity Research plays a key role in the study of the sequence and structure of genomes.

Under the title " plants and the environment " to plant functions and adaptive responses are examined that have this ever- changing environmental conditions developed due to their sessile lifestyle and against the background. This complex topic requires a transdisciplinary approach to understanding the context ( phylogeny, plant geography, ecology) as well as the mechanisms ( physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology ). Together with regional partners has the Dahlem Centre has extensive research expertise. We investigated here the response of plants to abiotic stress factors such as strong light intensity, temperature extremes, lack of water availability and nutrient deficiency as well as the biotic interactions of plants with other organisms such as insects or fungi. Working groups as work on different topics such as the response of plants to pests and disease, the cellular memory of plants to environmental stress, the role of root architecture in the colonization by fungi and their importance for the yield in agriculture and the strategies of neighboring plants to communicate with each other.

Structure and networking

The core of the Dahlem Centre form the plant scientist of the Institute of Biology, the central facility and working groups of Pharmaceutical Biology from the Institute of Pharmacy, Free University of Berlin. The different fields are all located on the campus of the Free University in Berlin- Dahlem. In addition, experts from many different fields of study at the Free University of Berlin, so that interdisciplinary cooperation projects on short paths are possible. The involvement of Geo, legal and political scientists is essential, for example in the implementation of environment-related research projects. Without computer science and mathematics, the available enormous amounts of data can not be meaningfully evaluated.