Upgrade and Renovation of Plant Growth Facilities at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spg Hbr NY

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Funds are provided for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) to renovate and upgrade existing plant growth facilities at our Uplands Farm Research Field Station. CSHL has an extensive greenhouse complex offsite where seminal work in Arabidopsis and crop plants has been conducted. The research focus on crop yield and adaptation of crops to substandard conditions has global impact and this will increase with these improved facilities. The greenhouses and growth rooms are used to support the research programs and also support the plant genetics teaching programs of the CSHL Dolan DNA Learning Center. These aging and outdated facilities are inadequate to meet the demands of current genome driven plant biology research. The infrastructural improvements will provide appropriate growing conditions for a greater diversity of plant species and will increase the energy efficiency of the facilities. In the proposed renovations, CSHL intends to: 1 Replace boilers in two smaller greenhouses, and two boiler burner units in the largest of the three greenhouses. 2 Install updated evaporative cooling units in each of the three greenhouses. 3 Install automated ventilation, sunshade, and irrigation systems in all three greenhouses. 4 Replace the aging, hazed acrylic sheathing on the largest greenhouse. 5 Renovate and improve the head house of the largest greenhouse. 6 Replace the cooling unit in the Field Station Laboratory with a modern and more efficient unit with an economizer ventilation unit. 7 Replace outdated lighting fixtures in the Arabidopsis growth facilities with improved, high-efficiency units and install a dedicated heating loop.