Renovation and Repair of Plant Growth Facilities

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Research in Plant Sciences at the University of Washington represents a long-standing interdisciplinary program encompassing fundamental and strategic research goals and emphasizing a diverse array of research organisms and experimental approaches. Research performed involves investigations reflecting the diversity of natural habitats in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from marine algae to old-growth forests, and includes basic research into the fundamental nature of plant growth and diversity and applied research addressing questions important to the economic well-being of society at large. Traditional centers of plant science research include the Department of Botany and the College of Forest Resources, but the expanding interest in plant science now includes research in Zoology, Biochemistry, Genetics and the Center for Urban Horticulture. The link that connects individual research programs in all of these units is the plant growth facility centered around the botany greenhouses that include a central greenhouse, a plant laboratory, and five plant growth chambers. Existing plant facilities, constructed in 1939 and 1949, represent an aging infrastructure badly in need of repair. The 1949 vintage electrical supply system is inadequate to handle the needs for artificial light and other technical advances that are standard in modern greenhouses. Growth chambers are approximately 20 years old and are unreliable and need replacing. Funding from the Academic Research Infrastructure Program will be used to partially support the University's effort in modernizing plant facilities needed to aid researchers in the pursuit of conducting leading edge research. Renovations will consist of: upgrading utility systems, exterior glazing, and benching; replacing outdated growth chambers with modern ones capable of supporting research activities requiring controlled growth environments; and installing new equipment and controls needed to maintain environmental conditions throughout the year. Improvement to the infrastructure of the greenhouses and the addition of new growth chambers will accommodate all aspects of research and research training for the future. á¼