An example of a National infrastructure. Overcoming the plant phenotyping bottleneck by integrated approaches: Webinar; Roland Pieruschka,  Coordinator of EPPN and EPPN2020’ Transnational Access programmes

Quantitative analysis of structure and function of plants has become the major bottleneck in basic research and applied use of plants. Significant interdisciplinary approaches have been started within the recent years on national and European level to establish research infrastructures able so support these aims. Specifically, it fosters research to quantitatively assess relevant traits under controlled and field conditions to understand the dynamic interactions between genetic constitution, molecular and biochemical processes with physiological responses leading to the development of phenotypes. In details, dedicated research infrastructures were established and are still implemented to integrate plant phenotyping facilities on national and international level with the goal to provide access to plant science community to address the phenotyping bottleneck in plant sciences as well as utilize synergies in joint development on methods and approaches, which also enable the use and reuse of data. We will present examples and use cases how infrastructures and their services on plant phenotyping have been organized on national and international level: i) within the national German Plant Phenotyping Network (DPPN) as an example of a national infrastructure, ii) integration within the EU funded projects EPPN and EPPN2020 enabling the European scientists to access key plant phenotyping facilities across Europe and perform experiments they were not able to do hitherto, iii) the ESFRI listed project EMPHASIS that aims at long- term sustainable development of the plant phenotyping infrastructure in Europe.