Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
Encyclopedia
The Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research is located in Cologne
, Germany
. The institute was founded as part of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society as the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Plant Breeding Research in 1928 in Müncheberg
, midway between Berlin
and the German-Polish border. The first director of the Institute was Erwin Baur
and the research emphasis was largely on classical plant breeding. In 1945 the Institute moved toward the west and, after intermediate stops, settled in Cologne in 1956. Josef Straub became the director and changed the research emphasis and the name to the Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung (Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research). The Institute is one of 80 institutes in the Max Planck Gesellschaft
(Max Planck Society).
. The school is run in cooperation with the Institute of Botany and the Institute of Biochemistry of the University of Cologne
.
research group based at the institute. Founded as a collaborative effort with the University of Cologne
's Department of Botany, the group was first established in 2002 and has been led since that time by Dr. Arp Schnittger. The group is normally composed of doctoral candidates, post-doctoral researchers, diplom student researchers from the local university, and various transient members. The group utilizes Arabidopsis thaliana
as a model organism
to investigate cell cycle control. According to their website, this exploration takes place at different levels and makes use of new advances in many methods and techniques. On the molecular level, they are interested in the plant specific regulators of cell cycle control, such as large cyclin
families with still unknown functions. On a cellular level, they explore the connection between cell cycle control and differentiation; in specific, they make use of well-described model cells, such as trichomes, stomata and root hairs. Finally, on an organ and organism level they study the integration of cell cycle regulation
in organ growth and function.
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The institute was founded as part of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society as the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Plant Breeding Research in 1928 in Müncheberg
Müncheberg
Müncheberg is a small town in Märkisch-Oderland, Germany approximately half-way between Berlin and the border with Poland.-Geography:Prior to 2003 the area today covered by Müncheberg was organized as the so-called "Amt Müncheberg"...
, midway between Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and the German-Polish border. The first director of the Institute was Erwin Baur
Erwin Baur
Erwin Baur was a German geneticist and botanist. Baur worked primarily on plant genetics. He was director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Breeding Research . Baur is considered to be the father of plant virology...
and the research emphasis was largely on classical plant breeding. In 1945 the Institute moved toward the west and, after intermediate stops, settled in Cologne in 1956. Josef Straub became the director and changed the research emphasis and the name to the Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung (Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research). The Institute is one of 80 institutes in the Max Planck Gesellschaft
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
(Max Planck Society).
Graduate program
The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS): Molecular Basis of Plant Development and Environmental Interaction is a graduate program offering a Ph.D. in biologyBiology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. The school is run in cooperation with the Institute of Botany and the Institute of Biochemistry of the University of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
.
Research groups
Arbeitsgruppe (AG) Schnittger is a cell cycleCell cycle
The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that takes place in a cell leading to its division and duplication . In cells without a nucleus , the cell cycle occurs via a process termed binary fission...
research group based at the institute. Founded as a collaborative effort with the University of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
's Department of Botany, the group was first established in 2002 and has been led since that time by Dr. Arp Schnittger. The group is normally composed of doctoral candidates, post-doctoral researchers, diplom student researchers from the local university, and various transient members. The group utilizes Arabidopsis thaliana
Arabidopsis thaliana
Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant native to Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa. A spring annual with a relatively short life cycle, arabidopsis is popular as a model organism in plant biology and genetics...
as a model organism
Model organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...
to investigate cell cycle control. According to their website, this exploration takes place at different levels and makes use of new advances in many methods and techniques. On the molecular level, they are interested in the plant specific regulators of cell cycle control, such as large cyclin
Cyclin
Cyclins are a family of proteins that control the progression of cells through the cell cycle by activating cyclin-dependent kinase enzymes.- Function :...
families with still unknown functions. On a cellular level, they explore the connection between cell cycle control and differentiation; in specific, they make use of well-described model cells, such as trichomes, stomata and root hairs. Finally, on an organ and organism level they study the integration of cell cycle regulation
Cell cycle checkpoint
Cell cycle checkpoints are control mechanisms that ensure the fidelity of cell division in eukaryotic cells. These checkpoints verify whether the processes at each phase of the cell cycle have been accurately completed before progression into the next phase...
in organ growth and function.