Enhanced gas and temperature control for the li-cor 6400

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The proposal requests $14,000 to build a portable, gas delivery apparatus (The "GasCon"), and a temperature control system to enhance the environmental control of the Li-Cor 6400 gas exchange system used for photosynthesis and respiration studies.  The GasCon will allow us to precisely deliver air of known O2 and CO2 concentration to the Li-COR 6400 apparatus.  This is necessary for a range of gas exchange experiments where we need to vary the concentration of O2, and for experiments where extremely low CO2 control is required.  The temperature control system consists of a high-precision, refrigerated water bath and two thermal control blocks that will extend the thermal control by the Li-6400 to between 5°C and 45°C. This will allow us to evaluate the temperature response of photosynthesis across the physiologically relevant range. The water bath will also provide the precise temperature control needed for humidity calibration of gas exchange equipment, and psychrometric assessments of plant water status.  The equipment will be portable, enabling use in locations away from my lab at the University of Toronto. With it, my lab will be able to pursue discovery-based research into the physiological mechanisms that determine the response of plants to climate change and atmospheric CO2 enrichment.