What is the Center for Plant Biology?

The Purdue Center for Plant Biology (CPB) is an interdepartmental alliance of faculty who share an interest in basic plant biology research and are committed to enhancing graduate training in plant sciences. The focus of the Center is basic plant science, which we define as research that aims to provide a clearer understanding of processes that impact the biology of plants, irrespective of future application. The mission of the Center is to enhance graduate student training in basic plant sciences and support research of participating members through collaboration, mentoring, and discussion. Graduate students in the CPB have access to an innovative curricula, diverse research opportunities, and world-class facilities and resources. CPB faculty members have access to a stimulating research environment and support among other participating members through collaboration, mentoring, and discussion. CPB faculty also have privileges associated with membership, including CPB-supported rates when using designated core facilities, access to CPB internal peer-reviewed funding mechanisms, and CPB graduate student assistantships.

The Center was established through the Institute for Plant Sciences and Purdue Moves, a series of university initiatives, to expand research and education in basic plant biology. Along those lines, 10 new faculty positions were created to strengthen leadership in critical plant sciences research.

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Why CPB?

• Purdue has invested more than $20 million in plant sciences and is committed to basic plant biology
• 10 new faculty hires in basic plant science since 2016
• Community of 36 faculty members provide a wide spectrum of research from ecology to reproductive cell biology
• Nearly 40 specialized research core facilities for faculty, students, and collaborators
• Controlled environment phenotyping facility opened in 2018 and features high-throughput imaging capabilities and is connected to 60,000-square-foot of growth space
• 25,500 square-foot field phenotyping facility located on Purdue research farm features state-of-the-art technologies for plant and seed processing, advanced remote sensing, and data management