Research at CEFE (Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive) aims to understand the dynamics, functioning and evolution of living organisms, from “bacteria to elephants”, and “from the genome to the planet”.

Its work has three ambitions: [1] to understand the living world in order to anticipate what tomorrow will bring; [2] to lead to innovations and meet society's expectations; [3] to practice a “unifying” science, diverse in its disciplinary approaches.

They are set against a backdrop of rapid global change, are involved in the development of new technologies for manipulating living organisms, and take account of societal demands on research.

The CEFE implements a science “made differently” to continue to fulfill its public service research mission in an eco-responsible manner. It has adopted two charters (available in French and English) that commit it to regulating its environmental footprint, so as to remain in control of its future development.

Created in 1961, the CEFE is located on the CNRS campus, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier.