The Botany Department was affiliated with the college of Science and Agriculture when Taihoku (Taipei) Imperial University was established in 1928. After World War II, Taihoku Imperial University was reorganized and renamed as National Taiwan University. The Master and the Ph.D. programs of the Botany Department were initiated in 1947 and 1973, respectively. When College of Life Science was established in 2003, the Department of Botany and Department of Zoology were merged as the Department of Life Science. At the same time the Graduate Institute of Plant Biology (IPB) was established, providing Master and Ph.D. programs for prospective graduate students.
IPB offer diversified courses such as molecular biology, plant stress biology, genetics, cell biology, transgenic techniques, and plant-microbe interaction. Twelve faculty members received their Ph.D. degree from domestic or international universities. They received well training in different aspect of plant biology, such as plant physiology, stress physiology, signal transduction, microbiology, macromolecule structure, and biotechnology. Research in the IPB can be divided into the following topics:
1.Plant stress biology (abiotic and biotic)
2.Regulation of growth and development
3.Macromolecule structure and function
4.Plant biotechnology