Plant growth chamber for arabidopsis research

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Arabidopsis is a model organism for agricultural biotechnology, providing the opportunity to get key insights into the way that gene function can affect crop improvement. With the completion of the Arabidopsis genome sequencing project, the current challenge is the determination of gene function. A complete understanding of a gene's function relies on the phenotypic analysis of the mutant alleles and transgenic lines for the gene of interest. However, the manifestation of phenotype relies on the growth conditions. Subtle phenotypes are often missed in less desirable conditions. Therefore, a controllable growth environment is essential for the phenotypic analysis of Arabidopsis mutants and transgenic lines. Because of its small size, rosette growth habit, and short life cycle, an optimal growth of Arabidopsis can be achieved in a growth chamber specifically designed for this model laboratory plant.                The proposed Arabidopsis growth chamber will be one of the key components for the PI's gene function determination platform. This growth chamber is specific designed for Arabidopsis growth, providing controlled environments for phenotypic analysis and genetic screen. The acquisition of such an Arabidopsis growth chamber would permit the observation and record of the phenotypes at many developmental stages, from seedlings to mature plants. Funds ($28,501) are requested to purchase an Arabidopsis growth chamber devoted to the research program described in the proposal entitled "Molecular mechanisms of the action of Arabidopsis RACK1, an ortholog of receptor for activated protein kinase C", funded by the NSERC Discovery Grants.