MRI: Acquisition of a seed x-ray machine

Chicago Horticultural Society, Glencoe IL

Investigators

Abstract

The Chicago Botanic Garden will acquire a seed x-ray machine to advance research in its seed/reproductive biology laboratory. A center for processing, testing, storing, genetically analyzing, and germinating seeds, this laboratory supports research and conservation efforts, as well as educational programs spanning from middle school through PhD programs. The Garden's seed-related research falls into three broad categories: ecological and restoration research, research on ex situ (off site) conservation methods, and horticultural research. Addition of an x-ray cabinet will serve research programs in all three areas by greatly expanding the lab's analytical capabilities. The Garden's studies encompass the biology of small, fragmented populations; the genetics and demography of both rare and invasive plant species; plant responses to climate change and to ecosystem management; and spatial and temporal patterns of molecular genetic diversity in populations. The Garden is also conducting restoration genetics studies that address seed transfer zone delineation and genetic erosion during seed storage and the process of ecological restoration. The Garden is a founding partner in Seeds of Success, the US native seed banking program, and partners with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and USDA National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation to provide redundant storage for its Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank which currently holds over 1600 wild-collected, native species and will ultimately hold samples from multiple populations of the entire Midwestern flora (approximately 3000 species). The Dixon seed bank also holds multiple accessions of the twelve globally rare species we curate for the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). Additionally, the Garden conducts research on perennial plant breeding to develop landscape plants adapted to the conditions of the Midwestern U.S. Research to assess the invasive potential of plant introductions to the Chicago region is also conducted. To date studies have examined fecundity and seed viability of potentially invasive ornamental taxa, having implications for the nursery industry and home gardeners. The acquisition of additional equipment for the seed/reproductive biology laboratory will result in an increase of the number and diversity of seed studies undertaken which have applications beyond the Garden. Seed banking of globally imperiled plant taxa and of the entire flora of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem benefits society at large. The seed bank serves as a genetic safety net, preventing extinction and mitigating against genetic erosion in wild populations. Several studies at the Garden address restoration genetics and the development of seed transfer zones. Federal, state and regional agency partners including the Bureau of Land Management, the USDA Forest Service, and Chicago Wilderness are implementing the seed transfer guidelines that the Garden develops in a variety of large-scale restoration projects. The results of our research will be disseminated not only to the scientific, conservation, and horticultural communities, but also to the general public through our on-site scientific interpretation (reaching over 900,000 visitors per year), membership publications (sent to over 48,000 members) and Web site that receives over 19 million hits per year. The Garden has a comprehensive education program in plant conservation biology, serving middle and high school students in our College and Science First programs and hosting several internships including an NSF-REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program. The Garden also serves graduate students in a Master's program in partnership with Northwestern University and Ph.D. programs with both Northwestern University and University of Illinois Chicago. Professional training in conservation through workshops, short courses and continuing education classes are also offered. Perhaps most importantly, the seed x-ray equipment will fill a national infrastructure need. Currently, similar laboratories are primarily limited to U.S.D.A facilities in Fort Collins, CO, Beltsville, MD, Columbus, OH and a few other germplasm repository sites. The U.S.D.A. facilities focus almost exclusively on crops, crop relatives and ornamental plants. The Garden's proposed seed storage and research facility will build much-needed capacity in Chicago and the upper Midwest to conduct seed related research and germplasm preservation for native plants, including those that are rare.