The Institute is well equipped with instruments and facilities necessary for plant molecular biology, including air-conditioned greenhouses, climate chambers and rooms for plant tissue cultures. It is authorized to work with genetically modified organisms and quarantined plant pathogens. The Institute contributes significantly to national programs of plant biotechnology and provides expertise on the diagnosis of quarantined plant viruses to the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Phytosanitary Administration, and on genetically modified crops to the Ministry of the Environment.

An important part of the activities of the Institute is training in plant molecular biology and plant pathology, which is performed in close cooperation with the University of South Bohemia. In association with the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Agriculture and the Institute of Physical Biology, the Institute received accreditation for PhD programs in molecular biology, genetics and physiology, plant pathology and biophysics. Nearly half of the scientist staff takes part in teaching classes. The University of South Bohemia, Charles University in Prague, and Palacký University in Olomouc are partners in joint research projects.

Actually:
K.Petrzik and O.Lenz from department of Plant Virology contributed with chapter "Apple mosaic virus in pome fruits" to the Virus and Virus-Like Diseases of Pome and Stone Fruits book issued by the American Phytopathology Society this year (ISBN: 978-0-89054-396-2). This book provides stat-of-the-art information on biological, molecular and immunological diagnostic methods of more than 70 different pathogens of pome and stone fruits and describes actual strategies to control them.