Molecular plant biology has long been a prominent research focus at the University of Tübingen. The Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP) was established as a basic research institution in 1999. Its mission is to reveal molecular mechanisms that ensure the survival of plants as complex multicellular organisms. The ZMBP builds on expertise in genetics, cell and developmental biology, biochemistry, plant physiology, cellular nanoscience, and microbiome research. Areas of research focus on molecular mechanisms underlying plant development, plant-microbe interactions, as well as the plant’s response and adaption to changing environmental conditions.
Independent research groups are the distinguishing feature of the ZMBP. These offer junior scientists excellent career opportunities via early independence. The research groups are supported by core facilities that develop and improve new methods in imaging, biochemistry, analytics, single cell approaches, transformation, and cultivation. The ZMBP is the leading partner of the CRC 1101 consortium addressing "Molecular encoding of specificity in plant processes". The ZMBP groups collaborate closely with the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, the Universities of Heidelberg and Hohenheim, and interact with many research groups around the globe.
