Multi-User Controlled Environments for Plant Growth in the Division of Biology

该项目旨在为位于诺克斯维尔的田纳西大学生物系的植物材料生长建立一个多用户设施。主要目标是在严格控制的环境条件下，在光照强度、光照质量、温度和湿度等方面种植实验用植物。为了反映动物系统的类似发展，已经选择了少数植物物种作为研究目的的模型来代表植物界。该研究小组由一名首席研究员（PI）和四名副研究员组成，他们将拟南芥作为被子植物的模型，松树作为裸子植物和树木的模型，角蕨作为低等植物的模型，大豆和日本莲花作为高等植物与固氮细菌相互作用的模型。为了充分利用它们的模式特性，需要为每个物种建立最优但不同的生长条件。五个（Co-） pi和另外两个主要用户建议，一个合作管理的多用户设施可以最好地满足生物学部对植物生长的多样化和不断扩大的需求。植物生长设施（PGF）将由一个核心植物生长单元组成，该单元将包括两个步入式生长室，六个可及式生长室和两个组织培养孵化器，所有这些都配有微处理器控制光和温度条件。PGF将优化所有使用的模式生物的生长条件。新设施将位于中心位置，距离主要用户很近。将设计一种合作式的管理方式，根据具体情况确保5个（Co） pi以外的研究人员可以使用部分设施。PGF将作为我们跨部门植物科学研究生培训计划的重要支持。除了大幅改善我们的研究基础设施外，PGF还将允许（Co-） pi在本科阶段活跃他们的教学计划，例如通过设计一个将植物进化带入课堂的实验。在建立植物培育基地的过程中，（Co）植物培育项目力求为高效和可再生的植物材料培养创造一个多用途的环境，以满足他们多样化和多学科的研究方法和教学职责。

This project is designed to build a multi-user facility for the growth of plant material in the Division of Biology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The primary goal is to grow plants for experimentation under tightly controlled environmental conditions with respect to light intensity, light quality, temperature, and humidity. Reflecting similar developments in animal systems, a small number of plant species have been selected to represent the plant kingdom as models for research purposes. This group of one principal investigator (PI) and four Co-PIs employs Arabidopsis as a model angiosperm, Pinus as a model for both gymnosperms and trees, Ceratopteris as a model fern, representing lower plants, and soybean and Lotus japonicus as models for the interaction between higher plants and nitrogen fixing bacteria. To take full advantage of their model characters, optimal but distinct growth conditions need to be established for each species. The five (Co- )PIs and two additional major users propose that the diverse and expanding requirements for plant growth in the Division of Biology are best accommodated by a cooperatively administered multi-user facility. The plant growth facility (PGF) will consist of a core plant growth unit which will comprise two walk-in growth chambers, six reach-in growth chambers, and two tissue culture incubators, all fitted with microprocessor control over light and temperature conditions. The PGF will optimize the growth conditions for all the model organisms used. The new facility will be centrally located and within easy reach of the major users. A cooperative style of management will be devised, which shall ensure access to part of the facility for researchers other than the five (Co) PIs on a case by case basis. The PGF will serve as a crucial support for our interdepartmental plant science graduate training program. Apart from drastically improving our research infrastructure, the PGF will allow the (Co-)PIs to enliven their teaching programs at the undergraduate level, for instance by devising an experiment that will bring plant evolution into the classroom. In building the PGF, the (Co) PIs seek to create a multi-purpose environment for the efficient and reproducible culture of plant material, which will satisfy their diverse and multidisciplinary research approaches and teaching obligations.