Department Overview
The University of California Berkeley
College of Natural Resources contains four departments, including
the Department of Plant and Microbial
Biology. This Department contains two Divisions, with Brian
Staskawicz as Department Chair heading the Plant Biology Division, and
Tom Bruns as Associate Chair heading the Microbial Biology Division.
The Division of Plant Biology
The Plant Biology
program focuses on contemporary basic plant
research and
design of biotechnologies. New discoveries have broadened our
understanding of plant development and function, and provided tools for
engineering plants that produce novel compounds and new crops with
enhanced resistance to pathogens and insects.
With an increasing awareness of environmental problems, global
changes, and emerging food needs, plants have emerged as a focal point
for new research initiatives and educational training programs. The
challenges of understanding the biology of plants, their development and
responses to the environment, and human impacts on the biosphere will
continue to fuel the expansion of plant research well into the future.
Faculty in the Division of Plant Biology responded
to these challenges by developing an internationally recognized plant
research and training program. As the key research and training program
of the Agricultural Experiment Station in the California Division of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, this Division operates at a strategic
location near California’s major agricultural production centers
and within the San Francisco Bay Area, a hub for innovative
biotechnology. Its close interaction with other biological sciences
departments on campus and the Division of Microbial Biology, together
with state-of-the-art facilities, have established a creative,
stimulating, and productive environment conducive to important
discoveries.
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