The Plants, Algae and Cyanobacteria module, located on the fourth floor of the newly constructed North Campus Building on the campus of The University of Western Ontario, is contiguous with the newly relocated Environmental Stress Biology Group. Complementing the ecosystem-scale work conducted in the Biomes, this module provides experimental facilities focused on the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms by which photosynthetic organisms as diverse as crop plants, conifers, green algae, and cyanobacteria adjust to climate change.
The module houses 19 growth cabinets which include custom-designed, ultra-low growth cabinets which can attain temperatures as low as -20ºC at 80% full sunlight and -40ºC in the dark. In addition, specialized controlled growth facilities are available for modulating CO 2 concentrations, temperature, high light, UV levels and humidity singly or in combination in a constant or oscillating mode.
Enhancing the functionality of the above facilities are four new research laboratories that include a core instrument facility, a state-of-the-art flow cytometry facility, as well as a new fluorescence spectroscopy imaging facility. In addition, this module is equipped with a clean tissue culture laboratory, an isotope laboratory, a dark room, and a preparation room.
Transgenic Plants
The Transgenic Plant module provides facilities that will not only enable basic research in the use of transgenic plants to study plant growth, development, and productivity, but will also enable scientists and industrial partners to assess the ecosystem risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on wild, endemic species. The facilities contain advanced tools for the development of novel GMOs in molecular farming, which consists of genetically engineering plants to produce therapeutic or nutritional substances such as vaccines, antibodies, proteins, enzymes and polymers. Included in this area are six walk-in transgenic growth rooms, a specialized pesticide delivery laboratory, a seed storage room, a general media preparation room, a cell transfer laboratory, and a large transformation laboratory.
Plant Productivity
The Plant Productivity Module is located within the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) located on the campus of the University of Guelph. The research conducted in this module concerns the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying plant plasticity with respect to acclimation to and biomass production under environmental stress conditions typically associated with climate change such as increased CO2 concentrations, unusually broad temperature fluctuations, drought, poor soil nutrients, and elevated UV levels. This knowledge is used not only to develop crops with enhanced capacity to adjust to and resist the stress effects of climate change but also to develop crops that exhibit the potential for higher yields per hectare under stress conditions. Various important agronomic and horticultural crop plants can be exploited genetically, biochemically, and physiologically to unravel the links between global energy sensing/signaling and biomass production.
The facility includes 8 custom-designed, controlled environment growth rooms capable of providing temperatures ranging from - 20ºC to +40ºC, irradiance ranging from complete darkness to 80% full sunlight. An additional unique feature of these growth rooms is the presence of plant canopy gas exchange systems, designed and developed by the Guelph group, which enable the continuous and non-invasive measurement of plant growth and biomass production. Both the controlled environment growth rooms as well as the plant canopy gas exchange systems within each room are computer controlled with respect to CO2 levels, temperature, water availability, soil nutrients, and air and soil pollutants. This enhances remote control of experimental conditions and monitoring in real time. Contiguous with this facility is a central laboratory associated with CESRF for biochemical analyses using state-of-the-art instrumentation for separation and quantification of metabolites.
An area within the Biotron Tower will be federally certified at Containment Level 3 (CL3) for work on airborne biohazardous plant and animal pathogens. This zone will feature approximately 70 m 2 of CL3 lab space in 2 separately air-locked labs, along with a pass-through autoclave, gowning area, and access to a large, walk-in growth chamber.
