MOLECULAR APPROACHES

Given the importance of molecular approaches for many of the basic questions in breeding, physiology, ecology of crops cooperation with groups or graduate schools such as Experimental Plant Sciences (EPS) on areas such as, gene-based modelling, virtual plant modelling, eco-genomics and chemical communication is important. Increasingly, attention is paid to the entire chain from individual molecules to the functioning of soil-plant systems often referred to as systems biology. PE&RC contributes to the research on Systems Biology with two main objectives:

• To connect studies in this field at lower integration levels (cell, organisms) to higher integration levels (plants, crops, ecosystems).
• To make available conceptual modelling expertise within PE&RC groups obtained at higher integration levels (plant and above) to groups working at sub-plant integration levels.