The LEPSE, Laboratory of Ecophysiology of Plants under Environmental Stress, was created in 1993 to produce knowledge and methodologies that can contribute to the improvement of the productivity of cultivated plants under environmental constraints.
This laboratory is a Mixed Research Unit (INRAE - Institut Agro/SupAgro Montpellier) located in Montpellier (34) on the Gaillarde campus (Institut Agro/Montpellier SupAgro).

Objectives

Analyse and model the genetic variability of plant responses to contrasting environmental conditions, in particular drought and high temperatures.

Actions and Methodology

The main responses studied are growth, vegetative and reproductive development and CO₂ and H₂O gas exchange. We test our hypotheses using wide genetic (natural accessions, selected lines, mutants, transformants) and environmental ranges (combining growth chamber, greenhouse and field) as well as using biochemical, molecular or biophysical measurements of organ or tissue status.
High-throughput analyses are made possible by the development and use of high-throughput phenotyping platforms for which we are pioneers on a global scale (LEPSE coordinates the Investissement of Avenir PHENOME project).

We combine our analyses in models embedding genetic and environmental variability to predict the behaviour of genotypes and species in current or future climates.
We are working mainly on four species: two major cereals in the world diet, namely wheat and maize, the vine, which is economically very important in the Mediterranean basin, and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, whose vast natural range makes it an ideal tool for studying adaptation to stress. Our work has generic ambitions that are illustrated by ongoing programmes on other species such as rice and rapeseed.

Labex

LEPSE is a partner of LabEx Agro.

Labex Agro (Agropolis Fondation, Agronomy and Sustainable Development)

Scientific guardianships

The LEPSE has 3 supervisory bodies: the departments Agro Éco System et Biologie et Amélioration des Plantes of INRAE, and L'Institut Agro/Montpellier SupAgro.

Staff

The LEPSE is composed of 30 permanent staff members affiliated to INRAE or to the Institut Agro/SupAgro of Montpellier :
    17 researchers including 4 teacher-researchers
    13 engineers, technicians and administrative staff (ITA)

It also hosts many students, post-doctoral fellows and non-permanent scientific and technical support staff.
Taking into account non-permanent staff, PhD students, post-doctoral fellows and trainees, LEPSE's workforce can reach 70 people.

Organisation

The LEPSE is structured in two research teams:

    Team ETAP : « Efficience de transpiration et adaptation des plantes aux climats secs »
    Team MAGE : « Modélisation et Analyse de l'interaction Génotype Environnement »

It consists of a set of phenotyping platforms, including an emerging project-team:
    M3P-Dév: "Montpellier Plateformes de Phénotypage des Plantes, Méthodes & Développements".

The LEPSE also has a technical team :
    Team IE2M : "Infrastructures, Equipment, Methods & Measurements".

Each agent of the unit is attached to one or two teams.