ARI-R2: Renovation of the North Carolina State University Phytotron for Improved Environmental Control and BSL-3 Containment

该奖项是根据《2009年美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。NCSU(北卡罗来纳州立大学)四层楼高的人工气候室建于1968年，大部分建设(约150万美元)和前八年的运营资金由NSF提供，随后由NCSU提供33年的维护和人员配备。经过42年的连续运行，NCSU人工气候室迫切需要升级，以满足目前和不断增长的对模型和相关植物、昆虫和小动物的受控环境研究的需求。该奖项提供的资金用于提供关键的基础设施升级，包括：(1)翻新和升级核心环境系统，特别是更换冷冻机和水泵，重新隔热冷冻水和乙二醇管路，以接受最近与大学冷水管路的连接。这些项目包括：(1)在温室和温室地板上涂上环氧涂层；(2)用灵敏的数字二氧化碳控制装置取代调节各个环境舱环境条件的控制器；(3)将一个屋顶温室和邻近的植物暗室改造成BSL-3设施，用于资助针对特定病原体和其他外来高风险病毒、细菌、真菌和线虫植物病原体的研究。由于北卡罗来纳州立大学是一家主要的植物生物学机构，这一由NSF资助的遗产是大学范围内的宝贵设施，用于许多联邦资助的研究项目，是各级培训和研究的焦点。在未来，基础设施的改造将使人工气候室成为关键的公共大型高通量植物表型分析设施。北卡罗来纳州州立大学的毕业生、本科生以及来自非Research I大学的暑期REU项目学生以及其他针对代表性不足群体的外展项目，在充当榜样和导师的不同教职员工的指导下，将人工气候室用于独立研究项目。这些翻新将立即产生科学影响，因为NCSU的研究人员将进行更敏感的全球气候变化研究，并从世界各地的合作者那里获取病原体和微生物，这些合作者安置在中央BSL-3设施中，经认证符合或超过联邦和州遏制指南。NCSU人工气候室的改造将保持NCSU广泛而强大的综合当代生物学社区，并极大地提高NCSU在这些领域的合作潜力和竞争力。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The four-story NCSU (North Carolina State University) Phytotron built in 1968 with most of the construction (~$1.5M) and first eight years of operating funds provided by the NSF, followed by 33 years of maintenance and staffing provided by NCSU. After 42 years of continuous operation the NCSU Phytotron is in dire need of upgrades to meet present and growing demands for controlled environmental research with model and relevant plants, insects and small animals. This award provides funds to provide critical infrastructure upgrades include: (1) renovating and upgrading the core environmental systems specifically replacing chillers and pumps, re-insulating chilled water and glycol lines to accept the recent connection to university chilled water lines. Applying epoxy coating to chamber and greenhouse floors; (2) replacement of controllers modulating the environmental conditions for individual environmental chambers with sensitive digital CO2 controls; and (3) conversion of one rooftop glasshouses and adjacent plant dark room into a BSL-3 facility for funded research with select agents and other exotic high risk viral, bacterial, fungal and nematode plant pathogens. As NC State is a premier plant biology institution, this NSF-funded legacy is an invaluable University-wide facility that is used in many federally funded research projects and is a focal point for training and research at all levels. Into the future the infrastructure renovations will allow the Phytotron to be a key public large-scale high-throughput plant phenotypic analyses facility. NC State graduate, undergraduates as well as summer REU program students from non-Research I universities and other outreach programs for underrepresented groups use the Phytotron for independent research projects under the direction of a diverse faculty who serve as role models and mentors. The renovations will have immediate scientific impacts as NCSU researchers will undertake more sensitive global climate change studies and acquire pathogens and microbes from collaborators around the world housed in the centralized BSL-3 facility certified to meet or exceed federal and state containment guidelines. The NCSU Phytotron renovations will maintain NC States broad and robust integrated contemporary biology community and greatly increase the collaborative potential and competitiveness of NCSU in these fields.