Plant growth chamber for pathogenesis assays and beyond

科学研究的一个关键方面是重现实验结果的能力。在植物生物学中，进行可复制实验需要在可复制的特定条件下种植植物。实现这一目标的一个主要方法是在一个可以设置和维持光线、温度和湿度水平的室内种植植物。以这种方式种植植物还有两个额外的好处：1)室内的植物是隔离的，所以如果它们感染了病原体，病原体就会被控制住；2)一个房间的条件可以与旁边的另一个房间不同。最后一点与温室不同，在温室中，在一个工作台上设置不同的环境条件要比在旁边的工作台上设置不同的环境条件困难得多。特伦特大学最近的师资扩张使得植物生物学研究形成了一个具有独特但互补的专业知识的核心。这些专业知识意味着，以前在特伦特不可能进行的关于植物对病原体感染反应的重要新研究，现在可以进行了。这项新的研究需要新的植物生长条件，这是特伦特大学目前的设施无法满足的。因此，需要购买一个新的、现代化的生长室，能够在高强度光下、高湿度和高温度下种植植物，以满足这一能力。这个新的会议厅对于NSERC资助的新教师的研究也是绝对必要的。在我们的实验室研究中，我们选择了更容易操作的现代设计，并为培训新的研究人员提供了更好的工具。我们还要求安装两个外部冷凝器，用于冷却新室和特伦特已经存在的室的循环水。这些新的冷却器消除了房间的极端耗水量，每天可以达到2700加仑的城市用水。为这项提议提供资金将以具有环境意识的方式增加特伦特绝对需要的能力，从而促进培训高素质人员。

A key aspect of scientific research is the ability to reproduce the results of an experiment. In plant biology, carrying out reproducible experiments requires growing plants in defined conditions that can be reproduced. A primary way to carry this out is to grow plants in a chamber where light, temperature and humidity levels can be set and maintained.  There are two added advantages to growing plants this way: 1) the plants in the chamber are isolated, so if they were infected with a pathogen, that pathogen would be contained and 2) conditions in one chamber can be different than another chamber beside it. This last point differs from a greenhouse where it is much more difficult to set up distinct environmental conditions on one bench relative to the bench beside it.  Recent expansion of faculty at Trent University has allowed the formation of a core in plant biology research with distinct but complementary expertise.  This expertise means that important new research on a plant's response to pathogen infection, that would not have been possible at Trent previously, can now be carried out.  This new research requires new conditions for plant growth that cannot be met with the current facilities at Trent University.  As such, the purchase of a new, modern growth chamber with the capacity to grow plants under high intensity light, at an elevated humidity and temperature is required to meet this capability.  This new chamber is also absolutely necessary for ongoing NSERC funded research of incoming faculty. In our research of chambers we have selected modern design that is easier to operate and provides a better instrument for training new researchers.  We have also included a request for two external condensers that will cool the recirculation water for both the new chamber and a chamber that already exists at Trent. These new coolers eliminate the extreme water consumption rate of the chambers, which can reach 2700 gallons of city water per day.  Funding this proposal will add absolutely required capabilities at Trent in an environmentally conscious manner that facilitates the training of highly qualified personnel.