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Setting up of a joint INRA – University of Tsukuba (Japan) research laboratory

Reinforcing collaboration in genomics in the field of fruit biology.

© INRA

On October 20th, 2008 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between INRA represented by Loïc Lepiniec, head of the Plant Biology Division acting for Marion Guillou, President of INRA, and the University of Tsukuba, represented by the director of the "Gene Research Center", Professeur Hiroshi Ezura, to set up a joint laboratory bringing together INRA’s Joint Research Unit for Fruit Biology and the University of Tsukuba (Japan).

This Memorandum of Understanding, is part of a collaboration agreement between France and Japan, which took form in 1991 by a scientific cooperation treaty, and between INRA and the University of Tsukuba, defined by a bilateral exchange and cooperation agreement signed in  2007. It precedes the signing of the contract which will accompany the official setting up of the joint laboratory in Bordeaux scheduled in 2009.  The joint laboratory, called TIL for Tsukuba-INRA Lab, will develop and reinforce collaboration between researchers working in plant genomics applied to fruit biology in France and Japan.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the XI th France-Japan Workshop on Plant Sciences which focused on genomic methods in the broad sense (genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, etc.), organised at the University of Tsukuba from  20 to 23 October 2008, by Hiroshi Ezura (University of Tsukuba) and Alain Pugin (University of Burgundy).

The Joint Research Unit for Fruit Biology (INRA-Bordeaux University) which is part of INRA’s Plant Biology Division, involved in the creation of the joint research laboratory, aims at better understanding the biological factors which, during the early stages of growth, lead to the formation of quality fruit. The main subject of study is the tomato, model fruit for studying fleshy fruit. The research conducted in the unit associates functional genomics methods with metabolic flux and cell biology techniques. As well as knowledge of fundamental biological processes, their objective is to provide professional partners with tools (alleles of interest, for example) to enhance their control of the production of quality fruit. 

Gene Resarch Center - Tsukuba-INRA Lab

© INRA, O. Le gall

Written by :  Communications Department
Unit :  Joint Research Unit for Fruit Biology
Department :  Plant Biology Division
Label for the news :  Article
Date for the news :  2011.03.08
Date of creation : 05/11/2008
Date of last update : 10/11/2008

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