In October, 2012, “The Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, CAS” passed the field evaluation by the Assessment Panel of CAS. It will be another new key laboratory of CAS in the Institute of Botany.

The Key Laboratory of Plant Resources grew out of “R&D Center of Energy Plant, IOB” founded in 2007. At the end of 2012, in order to strengthen the guide of “more focus on basic research, more focus on research and development”, the IOB undertook all the efforts to build the key laboratory of plant resources. The establishment of this laboratory not only adapts to satisfy the needs of biological resources in the national development strategy, but also is an important strategic deployment of scientific adjustment for IOB. The laboratory currently consists of 12 research groups, 1 19 professors, 2member honored by the NSFC young Investigator Award.

The key laboratory will make up the lack of research centers of plant resources in the North of China. Facing the great strategic need of plant resources during national economic development mode changing, the key laboratory will systematically start the integrative research of plant resources, germplasm innovation and new technology development, by exerting the location advantage, the accumulation and characteristics of plant resources, the research foundation and support platforms of IOB.

In the future, the Key Laboratory of Plant Resources will emphasize on the research tasks in the "One Three Five Plan” of IOB. Targeting horticultural plants in North and ecological restoration & energy plants, the laboratory will focus on the important scientific issues and key technological difficulties. We will start the collection and evaluation of plant resources; exploitation and application of key functional genes in plant resources; creation and application of high-quality germplasm. The laboratory will promote the combination of production-study-research, accelerate the industrialization of the research achievements, solve the actual questions concerning the economic development and ecological construction in the North, and make great contributions to economic development mode changing.