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The Institute of Research in Horticulture and Seeds (IRHS) is located in Beaucouzé (49070) and enjoys a privileged working environment in a dynamic scientific and teaching environment.

The IRHS gathers in Angers the main regional actors of the research in Plant Sciences. The IRHS is a Joint Research Unit (UMR 1345) under the supervision of INRAE, the Rennes-Angers Agro Institute and the University of Angers. With currently more than 250 agents, including 183 permanent staff, it integrates expertise in genetics, genomics and epigenomics, physiology and ecophysiology, biochemistry, plant pathology, microbiology, modeling, bioinformatics, biostatistics and biophysics for the quality and health of horticultural species and seed production.

The challenge of the research conducted at the IRHS is to produce the knowledge necessary for the sustainable management of the health of specialized plants and seed qualities in the current context of necessary reduction of inputs and climate change. We are working on the development of efficient, healthy and sustainable production systems for these food and ornamental sectors, which are characterized by intensive production methods, located in rural, peri-urban and urban areas.

Since its creation, the unit has invested heavily in the development of emerging approaches, such as genomics, metagenomics, epigenetics, bioinformatics and high-throughput phenotyping, to move towards predictive biology and strengthen its innovation capacities.

Four research axes structure the work carried out at the IRHS:

The institute is organized in 14 research teams, constituted around their scientific project, in a framework of mutualization of technological resources and expertise. It hosts a Phenotyping Collective InfraStructure (ISC), PHENOTIC, and 3 Biological Resource Centers (BRC) dedicated to the conservation and development of genetic diversity of pome fruits and roses (BRC RosePom), carrots and other vegetable apiaceae (BRC CARPIA) and bacteria associated with plants (CIRM-CFBP). It benefits from the Mutualized Technical Platforms of the SFR QuaSaV (ANAN, iMAC, PHYTO, COMIC), of which it is a carrier unit.

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