The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology (PEB) is focused on better understanding the way in which plants capture, convert and use energy in response to environmental change, with a view towards improved plant energy efficiency.
Vision
Our vision is to enhance plant energy efficiency by simultaneously optimising energy capture, conversion and use in changing environments, in order to improve the sustainable productivity of plants.
Mission
Define the complex system that determines overall energy efficiency in plants. Discover the key signals, 'gatekeeper' cells, and (epi)genetic controls that regulate this energy system. Manipulate these regulators in combination to optimise energy efficiency across the whole plant and enhance yield.
Strategic Priorities
- To elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of energy biology regulation in plants.
- To be a leading Centre for advanced training and education for plant and computational biologists, in Australia.
- To build strategic collaborations for Australia within the international science community.
- To enhance plant biotechnologies in order to build technological innovations and aid Australian agricultural innovation.
Plant Energy Biology Fast Facts
- The Centre has produced more than a thousand publications over its lifetime.
- 4 collaborating universities
- 11 Chief Investigators
- Partner Investigators in USA, Germany, Finland, Sweden and China
- Partnerships with the Grain Research and Development Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Photon Systems Instruments and Groupe Limagrain.
- Over 190 internationally competitive staff, students and affiliated researchers.
- $26 million from the Australian Research Council and $14 million from partner universities and companies to fund the Centre through to 2020.
- Centre authors contributed to over 90 publications in 2019.
The University of Western Australia
A Collaborative Effort
The Centre brings together researchers with complementary skills from around with world and integrates scientific research across the range of scales required to truly address the different aspects of the energy efficiency challenge in plants.
A Future Focus
The Centre recognises that increasing plant performance is key to long-term food security and we use our expertise in plant genes to influence plant energy outcomes - from genes to energy to yield.