The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (German: ''Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie'', abbreviated: IPB) is a non-university, public research institute located in

Halle (Saale) Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (; from the 15th to the 17th century: ''Hall in Sachsen''; until the beginning of the 20th century: ''Halle an der Saale'' ; from 1965 to 1995: ''Halle/Saale'') is the largest city of the Germany, German States of ...

, Germany. It carries out basic and applied plant research on model, cultivated and wild plants. Research activities at the institute include natural product chemistry, metabolism and protein biochemistry, cell and plant biology, as well as synthetic biology and biotechnology. The institute is a foundation under public law of the State of

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

and is a member of the

Leibniz Association The Leibniz Association (German: ''Leibniz-Gemeinschaft'' or ''Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz'') is a union of German non-university research institutes from various disciplines. As of 2020, 96 non-university research insti ...

History

The institute was founded in 1958 under Kurt Mothes as "Arbeitsstelle Biochemie der Pflanzen". Shortly after it was named "Institute for Biochemistry of Plants" (IBP) and became a member institution of the German Academy of Sciences of then East Germany. From 1968 to 1989,

Klaus Schreiber Klaus is a German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name and surname. It originated as a short form of Nikolaus, a German form of the Greek given name Nicholas. Notable persons whose family name is Klaus * Billy Klaus (1928–2006), American baseba ...

served as director of the institute, followed by Klaus Müntz (1989-1990) and Benno Parthier (1990-1997). After the German reunification, the institute was refounded in 1992 as "Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry" (IPB) and became part of the

of research institutions publicly funded by the federal government and the federal state.

Activities and structure

IPB research focuses on plant-related small molecules. It aims to explore the chemical diversity, biosynthesis, biological roles and mechanisms of action of plant and fungal natural products including specialized metabolites and chemical mediators. Interdisciplinary approaches at the interface between chemistry and biology encompass * natural product chemistry, * synthetic chemistry, * plant metabolism and protein biochemistry, * cell biology and plant physiology, * synthetic biology and biotechnology. Research at the IPB is conducted in four scientific departments * Bioorganic Chemistry, * Molecular Signal Processing, * Cell and Metabolic Biology, * Biochemistry of Plant Interactions, as well as two Junior Research Groups and two Synergy Research Groups The IPB employs ca. 190 people, 100 of whom are scientists.

Cooperation

The IPB and the

Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university i ...

(MLU) entertain close collaborations in research and teaching. The IPB's four department chairs and one junior research group leader are university professors jointly appointed by the MLU and the IPB. In addition, close collaborative ties exist with the

Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of mathema ...

(IPK) in Gatersleben. The IPB is a founding member of the ScienceCampus Halle - Plant-based Bioeconomy and a member of the

German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig is a DFG research center with staff and members at its main locations in Halle, Jena and Leipzig. It is a central facility of Leipzig University, and is run togeth ...

(iDiv) consortium.

References

External links

www.ipb-halle.de/en
{{Authority control Leibniz Association Halle (Saale) Research institutes established in 1958 Biochemistry research institutes 1958 establishments in East Germany Science and technology in East Germany