Plant Physiology is a fundamental biological science which achievements recently are of worldwide importance. The plant is a unique source of organic compounds and the oxygen of the planet, providing the biological resources for existence of the oxygen-dependent heterotrophic organisms, and maintenance of the defence ozone shield. Plant physiology is also the base of development of methods for the control of plant physiological and biochemical processes.

The progress in plant physiology has quickened dramatically over the past decades leading to a much improved understanding of plant behaviour. Recently, as the World's population expands inexorably, plant physiology is placed in a strong support to the practice for more efficient, productive and environmentaly friendly agricultural industry. As a consequence, the investigations in the field of plant physiology reflect these exciting developments - plant physiologists deal with physiological processes at levels of complexity ranging from a single molecule to whole organisms, and from ecology to agriculture. A succesful solving of these important problems requires the utilisation of the methods and techniques of biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, biological modelling, cytology, anatomy and genetics.

Acad. M. Popov Institute of Plant Physiology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IPP) is a leading research centrum of plant physiology and biochemistry in Bulgaria. The main directions of scientific research in the Institute are toward the plant growth and development, physiological and biochemical bases and mechanisms of regulation of photosynthesis, plant mineral nutrition and water relation, regulation of plant metabolism and gene expression, and phisiology, biochemistry and biotechnology of algae. All these are directly connected to the main national and worldwide priorities of plant physiology: ecology and safe environment, food supply and bioresourses.