Land plants and algae – collectively, plants – power almost all life on Earth, by transforming our sun’s energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. Understanding how molecular mechanisms support life in these photoautotrophic organisms is the central mission of research at the GMI.
We aim to understand how plants live, grow, reproduce, and adapt to their environments by discovering molecular mechanisms necessary for life. We study diseases, pests, and ecological interactions that affect the health and productivity of plants, both in natural ecosystems and in agriculture. We analyze genetic diversity across populations, discovering how plants adapted to their environments over the past 1.2 billion years, and helping us predict how they may cope in changing environments in the future.
Research at the GMI reveals the secrets behind the wonder of the natural world. Our research is driven by our curiosity about how photosynthetic organisms work; our findings can help conserve natural ecosystems and develop sustainable practices that enable humans to live within the resource limits of our planet.
The GMI is part of the Vienna BioCenter, one of the leading international life science research centers worldwide that has established itself as the premier location for life sciences in Central Europe.
