Acquisition of a Seed Biology Laboratory

在Kayri Havens博士的指导下，芝加哥植物园获得了一笔赠款，用于部分支持最先进的种子生物学实验室，用于处理、储存、基因分析和发芽种子。该实验室将满足国家基础设施的需求。目前，类似的综合实验室几乎完全集中在作物、作物近缘种和观赏植物上。该花园的种子储存和研究设施将在中西部上游地区建立急需的能力，以进行种子相关的研究和本地植物（包括那些受到威胁和濒危的植物）的种质保存，并评估引入芝加哥地区的新观赏植物的入侵潜力。该实验室将支持当前与种子有关的研究和恢复生态学、迁地保护方法和园艺。此外，新设备将大大提高参与花园REU项目的本科生和研究生的经验，与洛约拉大学的植物保护证书项目，与西北大学的联合硕士项目，以及与伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校共同指导的博士生。所进行的种子研究的数量和种类将大大增加，其中大部分研究的应用范围将超出园地。全球濒危植物分类群和高草草原生态系统整个植物群的种子库有益于整个社会，并可作为遗传安全网，防止野生种群的灭绝和减轻遗传侵蚀。一些园林研究涉及恢复遗传学和种子转移区的发展。联邦、州和地区机构合作伙伴计划在各种大型恢复项目中实施种子转移指南。研究结果将通过现场科学解释、会员出版物和花园网站向科学、保护和园艺界以及公众传播。

A grant has been awarded to the Chicago Botanic Gardens under the direction of Dr. Kayri Havens for partial support of a state-of-the-art Seed Biology Laboratory for processing, storing, genetically analyzing, and germinating seeds. The Laboratory will fill a national infrastructure need. Currently, similar comprehensive laboratories focus almost exclusively on crops, crop relatives and ornamental plants. The Garden's seed storage and research facility will build much-needed capacity in the upper Midwest to conduct seed related research and germplasm preservation for native plants (including those that are threatened and endangered) and assesses the invasive potential of new ornamental plant introductions to the Chicago region.The Laboratory will support current seed-related research and restoration ecology, ex situ conservation methods, and horticulture. In addition, the new equipment will dramatically enhance the experience of undergraduate and graduate students involved in the Garden's REU program, Plant Conservation Certificate program with Loyola University, joint Master's program with Northwestern University, and doctoral students co-advised with University of Illinois Chicago.The number and diversity of seed studies undertaken, most of which have applications beyond the Garden, will be substantially increased. Seed banking of globally imperiled plant taxa and of the entire flora of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem benefits society at large and serves as a genetic safety net, preventing extinction and mitigating against genetic erosion in wild populations. Several Garden studies address restoration genetics and the development of seed transfer zones. Federal, state and regional agency partners plan to implement the seed transfer guidelines developed in a variety of large-scale restoration projects. Research results will be disseminated to scientific, conservation, and horticultural communities and to the general public through on-site scientific interpretation, membership publications, and the Garden's web site.