Programs at Ghent University

To stay innovative and creative in life sciences, it is important to provide students with an educational program that integrates the state-of-the-art knowledge in their field of interest and that awakens their scientific curiosity and creativity. Providing up-to-date education in plant developmental biology, biotechnology, genetics and bioinformatics is therefore an important goal of the Center for Plant Systems Biology.

The Center for PSB belongs to the Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics from Ghent University that is headed by Prof. Yves Van de Peer. This department lends teachers for various courses in the Bachelor and Master Programs that are offered by the Faculty of Sciences.

The global demand for plant-derived products such as feed and food is increasing dramatically, which could be solved by the modern plant biotechnology. The Master of Science in Plant Biotechnology covers all aspects of modern plant biotechnology related to state-of-the-art technologies, plant growth and development, abiotic stress and biotic interactions, IP and safety regulation.

Technological advances have turned biology in a data-driven science. The avalanche of molecular data enables key discoveries in biology, ecology and molecular evolution, drives innovation in biotech and pharma industry and supports medical and governmental decision making. The interfaculty Master of Science in Bioinformatics offers three tracks tuned toward the students' specific interests and background that prepare them for different job profiles in the bioinformatics domain:

Finally, the Center for PSB is closely linked to the Institute of Plant Biotechnology Outreach (IPBO) whose mission is to assist developing countries to gain access to the latest biotechnological developments. IPBO offers summer courses on Biosafety Assessment and Regulation of Agricultural Biotechnology.