In 2015, the IRBV will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of its creation. Indeed, the IRBV has become a familiar resource in the world of plant biology.

The central figures guiding the Institute’s creation, in 1990, were Pierre Bourque, director of the Montreal Botanical Garden, and André Bouchard, the Garden’s curator as well as professor in the Université de Montréal’s Département de sciences biologiques. To realize their dream, they recruited J. André Fortin, then a renowned full professor at Université Laval’s Faculty of Forestry. As the first director, he was responsible for developing the Institute’s structure, based on the partnership between the Université de Montréal and the City of Montreal. The IRBV was officially established at the end of 1990, on December 27th. Mission accomplished for these visionaries!

Today, the IRBV is a centre of excellence in research and teaching of plant biology and biodiversity. In this unique environment, researchers draw upon all disciplines within plant biology, from molecular biology to ecology, both fundamental and applied, while ensuring that the next generation of scientists receives exceptional undergraduate and graduate training.