The last two years have continued to be a period of rapid changes for the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology (IPMB). Being the oldest life science institute in Academia Sinica, the Institute has continued to evolve and to reinvent itself.

        A significant aspect of the changes is related to our personnel. More than 15 PIs have left the Institute since 2003 primarily due to the establishment of Research Center for Biodiversity at Academia Sinica and retirements. This situation provides us with the excellent opportunity to inject new blood into research fields we would like to emphasize in the future. We are happy to report that we have successfully recruited eight new PIs and seven new research specialists in the last four years. Just in 2006 alone three new PIs and three new research specialists joined the Institute. Suffice to say that with the additions of these new PIs and specialists the Institute is much more dynamic and forward-looking than just a few years ago. These new PIs will not only change the demography of the Institute but also shape up the direction of our future research.

        With the departure of PIs working on evolution, systematics and ecology, the Institute felt the need to realign its research emphases. After extensive discussions among the PIs, the Institute has come up with three intellectual foci for our future research:

1.       1)Plant growth and development;
2.       2)Plant responses to the environment; and
3.       3)Plant biochemistry and secondary metabolism.

        The Institute has always had a good number of microbiologists among its PIs working on plant pathogens, fungi and specific classes of bacteria, and we expect that this trend will continue for years to come. Currently, we are in yet another round of search for microbiologists. We expect to have more synergisms and collaborations between the plant and microbial components in the recently renamed "Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology".

        Our contributions to the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP) were completed on time, and the accomplishments have been reported recently in the journal Nature. In collaboration with Institute of Molecular Biology and Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, we are redirecting our energy and resources into rice functional genomics by constructing, managing and utilizing a large population of T-DNA insertion/activation tagging rice lines. We expect more researchers among many different institutions to join us in the near future for the discovery of useful genes in rice. This effort, together with what we have already invested in Arabidopsis, will form a two-pronged approach to harnessing the vast genetic resources in plants.

        The infrastructure of our Institute has continued to improve. A seven-story new research building is currently under construction and occupation is expected by the end of 2008. This new building will not only alleviate the severe space shortage in the Institute, but also promote interactions with Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center (former Institute of BioAgricultural Sciences). We have also significantly improved our four existing core facilities, i.e. cell biology, microarray, proteomics and transgenic plant. In addition, a new core facility of bioinformatics has recently been created to facilitate research in this area.

        In addition to pursuing basic knowledge about the form and function of plants and related microorganisms, biotechnology applications based on what we have learned are also being developed. The main theme of this effort is on the discovery, utilization and preservation of unique biological resources in Taiwan. To promote research activities in biotechnology, we have established the“Academia Sinica Biotechnology Experimental Center in Southern Taiwan" located on the campus of Tainan Science-based Industrial Park. This is a collaborative effort between Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, and Institute of Molecular Biology. A new GMO greenhouse complex has already been in operation for more than a year, and the construction of a four-story research building will soon be underway. Among the several biotechnology projects is a new initiative on biofuel research focusing on discoveries of microbes and enzymes that can be used in the conversion of lignocellulosic materials into ethanol. Our presence in southern Taiwan will facilitate interactions with universities and biotech industry in the region. In addition, this offers us the opportunities for greenhouse- and field-testing of our potential biotech products in a more suitable environment.

        Several members of our Institute have been recognized for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions. Since 2004, three PIs have been elected Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (Drs. Tuan-hua David Ho, Na-Sheng Lin and Jei-Fu Shaw). Dr. Shu-Hsing Wu has been presented the Thomson Citation Laureate Award for her recent papers on leaf senescence. Dr. Yue-ie Caroline Hsing has been awarded the “France-Taiwan Grand Prize” for her long-term fruitful collaborations with several French groups.

        The Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology is at a major crossroad-we face increasingly demanding challenges. Our ability to successfully carry out these tasks will not only shape up the future of this Institute but also set the proper direction for plant and microbial research in Taiwan. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the following organizations for providing us with major financial support: (1) Academia Sinica, (2) National Science Council, (3) Council of Agriculture, and (4) National Science and Technology Program on Agricultural Biology. The generous support from these funding sources has allowed us to create a stimulating environment and to work hard toward our goals.