Because of an increasing world population, humanity faces multiple challenges. Among them, supplying enough food and improving land and water uses are without any doubt main priorities. The Laboratory of Excellence (Labex) TULIP is involved at a scientific level in these priorities, providing a perspective and a workforce of more than 400 scientists of various statuses, on a subject that gets more worrying each day.

The TULIP Labex develops a comprehensive theory of the interactions between living organisms in order to study their ability to adapt to environmental changes. Based on complementary approaches combining microbe, plant or animal specialists, on large scale experimental models, coupled with theoretical approaches, researchers hope to predict resource evolution and, on the long term, provide solutions to problems that will impact us shortly.

As concrete examples, the TULIP LabEx project elaborates new environmentally friendly fertilizers as well as genetically improved plant species to make them more resistant to pests and diseases.