History
1960: birth of IRBI
The current Institute of Research on Insect Biology was born in Tours in 1960 from the will of Prof. Vincent Labeyrie who was appointed in 1960 as a lecturer at the University of Poitiers.
This research theme was little developed in the 1960s in France, while many studies were beginning to be carried out in other European countries and in the USA.
1981: IRBI expands
During this period, the laboratory opens up internationally. Since then, it has continued to expand its connections to the four corners of the globe. Cooperation programmes with the Universities of Niamey (Niger), Ougadougou (Burkina Faso) and Lomé (Togo) symbolise the strong implantation of Touraine research into the problems of the African continent. Numerous research programmes are therefore focusing on one of the laboratory's historical models: the bruchidae beetles. These insects destroy all stored crops in a few months and deprive African populations of a protein-rich food resource.
This fundamental and applied research will be carried out under contracts financed by the European Economic Community from 1990 onwards.
This African adventure led by J. Huignard will also have provided training for African academics and engineers who today occupy important positions in their respective countries. As a result of this collaboration, Professor Isabelle Glitho will be awarded the insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 2011. Doctor of Science in Entomology from the François Rabelais University of Tours - specializing in bioecology and population management - she has been Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lomé and Director of the Applied Entomology Laboratory since 2009. She is thus the first woman, and so far the only Togolese, to have reached this high academic responsibility. In 2000, Georges Periquet became Director of the IRBI, which then had 22 university staff and 9 CNRS staff. Under his impetus, research in population genetics and molecular biology was developed.
1994: IRBI goes international
In 1994, Jerome Casas, a Swiss scientist working in California, was recruited. In 2002, he took over as head of the IRBI, which then diversified and began active international expansion. In 2003, the laboratory moved to new premises built on the site of the UFR Sciences et Techniques in the heart of Grandmont Park with the help of the State and the Centre Region. The IRBI then had 30 researchers, 8 ITA CNRS and 6 IATOS University.The research deals with plant-insect and insect interactions -
2011: IRBI gets involved and diversifies
Under the impetus of Jean-Paul Monge, who takes over the direction of the IRBI in 2011, the institute is intensifying its partnership with the Centre d'Expertise et de Transfert Universitaire (CETU) "Innophyt". The IRBI is then also developing a series of research programs with industrialists, local authorities and foundations while forging stronger links with local scientific partners and the Centre-Val de Loire region. The IRBI is also part of the national dynamic by conducting numerous research programs funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), as well as other national and international organizations such as the European Research Council (ERC). Biological invasions, climate change, vector biology, agroecology or biomimicry have now been cited in what was once a fortress of "pure" science.
Rootedness in societal problems is intensifying with the arrival of David GIRON as Director of IRBI in 2016. The institute then develops a series of national and international research programs with industrialists, local authorities and associations around the objectives of sustainable development. Understanding how insects react to environmental changes in particular is a major challenge in order to preserve the sustainable functioning of ecosystems and halt the loss of biodiversity, ensure sustainable food production strategies and minimise the health risks associated with disease-carrying and invasive insects. The Institute therefore focuses part of its activities on insects as a solution, for example through the production of insects for food purposes, as an innovative source of bioconversion of organic matter, as a means of relaunching heritage sectors or developing new tourism offers. With a strong international focus, the Institute is also forging links with local players to preserve the exceptional natural and cultural heritage of the Centre-Val de Loire region.
The recent federation of regional research forces and non-academic structures within the EntomoCentre network is an illustration of this.
In order to carry out its missions, the IRBI still relies on technological developments and acquires innovative, cutting-edge equipment through major structural programmes. Thus equipped, the IRBI now plans to devote more time to field analyses, with new devices in temperate environments: onboard labs, on a mobile platform above or in the middle of trees, with drones equipped with recorders, systems that allow insects to be sampled from the treetops, to observe their behaviour in nature and to record everything that happens around them.
Directors
- Vincent Labeyrie (1960-1981)
- Jacques Huignard (1981-2000)
- Georges Periquet (2000-2003)
- Jérôme Casas (2002-2011)
- Jean-Paul Monge (2011-2016)
- David Giron (2016 -)