GCP's Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP) 

Initiated in September 2009, the Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP) is conceived as a public web-based one-stop shop for information, analytical tools and related services to design and efficiently conduct molecular-assisted breeding experiments. It also offers facilities to access these tools and services. The initiative is mainly funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with additional financial support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission.

The IBP aims to leverage advanced information and communication technologies to enable breeding programmes in the public and private sectors to accelerate variety development for developing countries using marker technologies for various breeding purposes. These include major gene or transgene introgression, gene pyramiding and complex marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS), and – in the near future – genome-wide marker-assisted selection (GWMAS).

The platform will also deliver support services to guide and train developing-country breeders in accessing and using marker technologies. Critical for the adoption of modern breeding technologies in developing countries will be supporting communities of practice on molecular breeding for the most important food security crops, developing local infrastructure to improve plant phenotyping, and appropriate and targeted capacity building. Through these efforts, the platform will be part of a global strategy on food security and poverty alleviation.

The IBP comprises three components: i) a portal and helpdesk, ii) an information system, and, iii) a services component. More on the components.

The Platform will initially work with 14 pioneer user cases which are ongoing breeding projects in the tropical world. Collectively, these user cases cover eight crops and span 32 developing countries. More details on Project Management and Partners.

Some elements of the IBP are already operational, including the Genotyping Support and Marker Services.

At the heart of the IBP will be an integrated and configurable workflow system.

Other elements are under development and will progressively be deployed as they are completed. More on ongoing developments of the IBP initiative is available at the project wiki (for users and collaborators).