Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

This proposal requests funds to purchase two controlled environment plant growth chambers to be used in studies of physiological acclimation and adaptation of conifer and cottonwood trees (tree seedlings/ saplings). The growth chambers will allow experiments to be conducted that require a high degree of control over several environmental factors including, temperature, humidity, light intensity and day length (photoperiod). Such environmental control is not possible in greenhouses. Currently there are few plant growth chambers available at University of Lethbridge (UL), and those that exist are fully used. The lack of controlled environment space reflects, in part, the rapid growth of plant biology research at UL over the last decade, and limitations in physical space on campus to house any new chambers. The recently opened UL Alberta Water and Environment Science building (AWESB) includes a large area below the applicants' new research labs that is currently empty, but allocated for new growth chambers to serve our expanding research needs. This grant would enable the purchase of the first two chambers for this newly proposed plant growth facility. The applicant (L.B. Flanagan) and co-applicant (S.B. Rood) both have well established, nationally and internationally recognized, research programs supported by NSERC Discovery grants and several other funding sources. Our programs train new researchers at all levels including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and technicians. The requested plant growth chambers will greatly enhance research and training across the complete range of personnel present in our research groups.