History

The Institute came into being as the Department of Plant Genetics in 1961, on the initiative of Prof. Stefan Barbacki as a result of the unification of the Department of Plant Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznań and the Genetic Research Centre in Skierniewice directed by Prof. Edmund Malinowski. In 1979 by the decision of the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Department was converted into the Institute of Plant Genetics with the aim to perform genetic studies on cultivated plants.

At the initial period, only about twenty persons (scientists and technicians) were employed at the Department of Plant Genetics. After a new building was constructed in 1971, a total number of employed persons increased up to more than 100 persons, with a relatively big number of young researchers and PhD students. In the seventies of the XX century we noted the highest number of young scientists that successfully defended PhD thesis.

At the initial period, investigations conducted at the Department of Plant Genetics focused on the genetics of fodder plants. Then, the research work was gradually extended to physiological and biochemical studies dealing with biotechnology and molecular biology.

At present, research problems of the Institute, which are realised in nine laboratories, focus on the genome of cultivated plants and with their improvement by methods of biotechnology, genetic engineering and molecular cytogenetics. They mainly concern cereals, grasses, legumes, potato and oilseed rape.

IPG-PAS has proved its strong involvement and important role in the process of restructuring the science policy in Poland during the last 12 years. This has brought the IPG-PAS to create the basis for new developments in molecular biology research and modern biotechnology.

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