{"id":708,"date":"2024-03-26T22:09:17","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T22:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/?page_id=708"},"modified":"2024-06-23T11:38:50","modified_gmt":"2024-06-23T11:38:50","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n\n

The Planetary Biology Transversal Theme is a major pillar in EMBL\u2019s attempt to study life in context. It attempts to understand molecularly and mechanistically how organisms, populations and communities respond to their biotic and abiotic environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our research focuses on individual organisms, populations and communities, and on the diverse organismal interactions in symbiotic relationships. We explore these organisms and their interactions in the context of natural and human-made factors. Our work spans multiple scales, from molecules and cells to entire ecosystems and the planet, and covers various timeframes, from milliseconds to lifespans and generations to geological ages. Our mission is planetary, recognizing that Earth is the only truly comprehensive system for studying life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision and Ambition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Molecular life sciences have long shielded experimentation from environmental fluctuations for the sake of reproducibility; and highly inbred genetic model systems are kept and investigated under standardized and invariable conditions. Planetary Biology aims at changing this paradigm to instead embrace genetic and environmental variation. This enables a more comprehensive understanding of life, which has evolved under highly variable conditions. For example, modes of development and life cycles are much more plastic with genetic variation and changing environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Planetary Biology approach to study life in context at large scale, with molecular and cellular resolution and in its natural environment, aims at providing comprehensive insights into ecosystems\u2019 biodiversity and function. Building on this, we set out to model and predict how life on our planet responds to current and future global challenges such as pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n