About the project

Who has started the project

I, Philippe V. Jutras, started the project as a simple open source tool to collaborate synchronously with other researchers when the Covid-19 pandemic stopped non-essential travels. The initial project, named The Blue Project, aimed to provide the first universal, decentralised and secure communication platform for research and education. I was committed to ensuring that any researchers or students have access to an ethical and evolving collaboration platform. Since then, the project has evolved, but fundamentally the PCI reflects my values of distributed knowledge and open source in science.

Where it started

The first iteration of the PCI was drafted after realising that we should enhance collaboration between research groups to solve pressing problems. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that we can collaborate remotely to speed up research results and discoveries. Consequently, I created the PCI to unleash the full potential of plant research.

Where it is at now

After fruitful discussions with researchers and stakeholders, the PCI vision and mission have been determined. A virtual institute based on distributed research has been proposed to strengthen research in plant science by creating a network of collaborative partners. We are now working on establishing the network and creating a collaborative platform for the institute.

Where it is heading

I want the PCI to play a crucial role in safeguarding the future of our planet. By connecting different plant-related challenges, the PCI aims to break down the research silos and enable community-driven collaboration. The PCI is powered by the ambition of solving the most urgent plant-related problems facing our communities.