TSENTAR PO RASTITELNA SISTEMNA BIOLOGIYA I BIOTEHNOGIYA

Their core work

The Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB) in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, is a dedicated research center focused on understanding plant stress biology — particularly how certain plants survive extreme drought. Their core scientific work applies systems biology and multi-omics approaches to study desiccation-tolerant "resurrection plants" like Haberlea rhodopensis, a species native to the Balkans. Beyond lab research, the center was itself established through H2020 Widening funding (PlantaSYST), making it a purpose-built institution designed to bring Bulgarian plant science up to European research standards.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2017), the center was literally being built — the PlantaSYST project was about establishing the institution itself and its core plant systems biology and biotechnology capabilities. From 2019 onward, the center matured into active research, coordinating RESIST on desiccation tolerance while also engaging in researcher mobility and career development through K-TRIO. The shift is from institution-building to producing original research and integrating into the European research community.

CPSBB is transitioning from a newly established center into an independent research leader in plant stress biology, likely to seek larger coordinated projects in climate-resilient agriculture.

How they like to work

CPSBB acts as both coordinator (2 projects, including their flagship EUR 7.8M PlantaSYST) and participant (3 projects), showing a balanced profile for a young institution. With 17 unique partners across 5 countries, they maintain a moderately sized but focused network — typical of a center still building its European connections. Their participation in K-TRIO networking actions suggests they are actively investing in expanding their collaborative reach.

The center works with 17 partners across 5 countries, a modest but growing network concentrated in a few European collaborations. As a Widening country institution, their partnerships likely connect them to established Western European plant science groups.

What sets them apart

CPSBB is one of very few dedicated plant systems biology centers in Southeast Europe, built from the ground up with EU Widening funding. Their focus on Haberlea rhodopensis — a Balkan-endemic resurrection plant — gives them access to unique biological material that Western European labs cannot easily replicate. For consortium builders, they offer both a strong scientific niche in drought tolerance and a Widening country partner that strengthens proposal diversity.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PlantaSYST
  Flagship project (EUR 7.8M, coordinated) that literally established the center — one of the largest Widening investments in Bulgarian life sciences.
• RESIST
  First independent research coordination by the center, studying resurrection plants with direct relevance to drought-resilient crops under climate change.