IRD will contribute with expertise in genomics and transcriptomics, plant epigenetics, imaging and modelling. It will provide genetic stocks (mutants, reporter lines) of Arabidopsis and, state-of-art infrastructure and equipment for molecular biology, imaging and bioinformatics.

UMIL is a leading Italian university for investment in research infrastructure and human capital: two essential elements for tackling the complex challenges of knowledge. UMIL Plant development group works within the Department of Biosciences where plants can be grown under controlled conditions in growth chambers and greenhouses all year round; Plant imaging can be carried out in a state of the art Bio Imaging microscopy facility “NOLIMITS” that provides state-of-the-art optical and confocal microscopy. Plateforms for single-cell transcriptomic analyses (ICELL8c), measuring biomolecule interactions through MST (Microscale Thermophoresis technology), and proteomics and metabolomics are also available.

UNIPG will contribute with expertise in apomixis, epigenetics, genomics and transcriptomics. It will provide equipment for molecular biology especially for setting up the libraries for the epigenetic studies, and the bioinformatics for the relative pipeline.

The laboratory of genomics and plant breeding is in Legnaro (PD), at the Department of Agronomy Food Natural Animals and Environment (DAFNAE, University of Padova). DAFNAE, with more than 70 permanent faculty members and 180 among PhD students, post-docs and fellowship holders, promotes the competitiveness of the agri-food sector and the sustainable use of natural resources, through the production and dissemination of knowledge on the management and improvement of plants, animals, microorganisms and soil for the production of quality food and biomass, ensuring the conservation of ecological systems, the protection of cultivated plants and preservation of the environment and biodiversity.

The group of CNR will focus on sequencing and characterization of apomixis locus in Paspalum simplex and on functional analysis of candidate genes for some aspects of apomictic reproduction in the same species. In particular, they will provide and study RNAi transformed lines of P. simplex in which candidate genes for some aspects of apomictic development are inactivated. 

UZH will provide its’ expertise in genetics, genomics, transcriptomics and methylome analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana and of sexual and apomictic Boechera species. It further contributes ample know how and technology platforms in high-resolution 3D imaging and quantitative image analysis of reproductive organ development in plants.

NIAB is at the forefront of the application of genetics, physiology, soil science, precision agronomy and data science to improve the yield, efficiency and resilience of crop production across the arable, forage and horticulture sectors. NIAB will contribute to the project with expertise in bioinformatics and the analysis of molecular data generated from different technologies.

Langebio will provide expertise in Arabidopsis molecular genetics and a large collection of mutants and markers for studying embryo development in Arabidopsis.Facilities at Langebio include greenhouses, growth chambers and facilities for light, confocal and scanning electron microscopy.

The Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide is located in South Australia, and maintains a strong research focus in plant science, agricultural biotechnology and crop breeding. The Plant Development lab will contribute expertise on the early stages of ovule development in Arabidopsis and cereal crops, as well as cell-type specific markers and knowledge of cell wall composition and modification during development.

Purdue University is a public land-grant research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana (USA), and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system.  Purdue University’s College of Agriculture houses 31 different majors and 54 educational options in the fields of agricultural, food, life, and natural resource sciences. The Gamete Biology and Fertilization group work within the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and the Center for Plant Biology. Faculty, students, and collaborators have access to nearly 40 research core facilities equipped with state-of-art equipment, as well as access to long-range greenhouses, growth chambers, and a controlled environment phenotyping facility that supports basic and translational research in a broad range of scientific fields. ​