Controlled Environment Chambers for Plant and Algal Research

用于植物和藻类研究的受控环境室

• 批准号: RTI-2021-00440
• 负责人: Cvetkovska, Marina
• 金额: $ 10.48万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=718839
• 关键词: Controlled; Environment; Chambers; Plant; Algal

Photosynthetic organisms dominate the bottom of virtually all food webs on our planet and have a deep impact on all areas of human life, including agriculture, human health, and the maintenance of robust ecosystems. We request funds to purchase two controlled environment growth chambers for working with land plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. These chambers are powerful and flexible platforms for fine-tuned control of growth conditions (light, temperature, humidity) and are urgently needed to replace similar equipment that is no longer operational. Access to available growth chamber space is presently the biggest single constraint limiting plant and algal research at uOttawa, since experiments with photosynthetic organisms almost invariably entail the growth and/or incubation under controlled environmental conditions. Based on our current needs and projected usage, we expect that the equipment will be in continuous use for most of its lifespan, which is anticipated to be >20 years. Growth chambers are commonly used tools in both industry and research; HQP trained in our labs will gain a multitude of practical skills in plant and algal cultivation that are highly sought in the developing agriculture, aquaculture and environmental protection sectors in Canada. Growth chamber space is essential to support our NSERC-funded research programs focused in plant and algal physiology, plant-microbe interactions, stress signaling, plant development and metabolism, toxicology, and ecology. Acquisition of the requested chambers will have an immediate impact on the following research programs: I) Elucidating the responses of polar algae to environmental stress. The Polar Regions and the cold-adapted organisms from these habitats are increasingly being threatened by the unprecedented rate of climate change. We aim to understand the impact such stress will have on cold-water algae, the base of the food chain in polar environments. II) Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underpin the symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. These beneficial soil microbes colonize the roots of a majority of land plants, including important agricultural crops such as wheat, rice, and soy, and yet current knowledge of the mechanisms by which these fungi down-regulate plant immunity to enable symbioses is poor. III) Determining the environmental drivers behind the toxicity of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Around the world toxic cyanobacterial blooms pose a growing risk to wildlife, human health and regional economies, due to increased nutrient loading and possibly climate change. Some cyanobacterial blooms produce potent toxins while others do not, and the reason(s) remains unclear. The requested equipment will be used in all projects and will be key in training of multiple HQP for many years.

光合生物几乎占据了地球上所有食物网的底层，对人类生活的所有领域都有深刻的影响，包括农业、人类健康和维持强大的生态系统。我们申请资金购买两个受控环境生长室，用于研究陆生植物、藻类和光合细菌。这些箱是功能强大且灵活的平台，可对生长条件（光照、温度、湿度）进行微调控制，迫切需要更换不再运行的类似设备。获得可用的生长室空间是目前限制uOttawa植物和藻类研究的最大单一约束，因为光合生物的实验几乎总是需要在受控的环境条件下生长和/或孵育。 根据我们目前的需求和预计的使用情况，我们预计设备将在其大部分寿命（预计超过20年）内持续使用。生长箱是工业和研究中常用的工具;在我们实验室接受培训的HQP将获得植物和藻类种植方面的多种实用技能，这些技能在加拿大发展中的农业，水产养殖和环境保护部门中非常受欢迎。 生长室空间是必不可少的，以支持我们的NSERC资助的研究计划，重点是植物和藻类生理学，植物微生物相互作用，压力信号，植物发育和代谢，毒理学和生态学。获得所要求的腔室将对以下研究计划产生直接影响：I）阐明极地藻类对环境胁迫的反应。极地地区和来自这些栖息地的适应寒冷的生物正日益受到前所未有的气候变化速度的威胁。我们的目标是了解这种压力对冷水藻类的影响，冷水藻类是极地环境中食物链的基础。了解植物与AM真菌共生的分子机制。这些有益的土壤微生物定植在大多数陆地植物的根部，包括重要的农作物，如小麦，水稻和大豆，但目前对这些真菌下调植物免疫力以实现共生的机制的了解还很差。 III）确定水华蓝藻毒性背后的环境驱动因素。在世界各地，由于营养负荷增加和可能的气候变化，有毒蓝藻水华对野生动物、人类健康和区域经济构成越来越大的风险。一些蓝藻水华产生有效的毒素，而另一些则不会，原因尚不清楚。所要求的设备将用于所有项目中，并将成为多年来培训多名HQP的关键。