Equipment

The Sir David Read Controlled Environment Facility contains 68 individual rooms and chambers, capable of simulating virtually every terrestrial environment.

Outside of a green growth chamber
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This equipment is used to precisely control environmental conditions allowing our researchers to accurately study the effects of different climates and cues. This can include replicating past and future global conditions, elevated and sub-ambient CO2 environments, treatments involving light, temperature and humidity, and worldwide weather station tracking.

These facilities have been instrumental in building knowledge in the fields of plant biology and crops sciences for which the University of 91Ö±²¥ has world-leading academic expertise. These research achievements have made and continue to make valuable contributions to the agri-tech sector.

The equipment includes the following:

Controlled environment growth chambers

Growth chamber in the Sir David Read Controlled Environment Facility

Used for precise small scale controlled growth experiments, with accurate control of:

  • Light intensity
  • Day-length
  • Temperature
  • Relative humidity
  • CO2 concentration
  • Red:Far-red light ratio

Controlled environment growth rooms

Growth room in the Sir David Read Controlled Environment Facility

Used for Phenomics scanning and large controlled environment plant growth experiments. with accurate control of:

  • Light intensity
  • Day-length
  • Temperature
  • Relative humidity
  • CO2 concentration
  • Red:Far-red light ratio

The Wolfson Centre for Disease Phenomics

A state-of-the-art facility for plant disease phenomics.

The Wolfson Centre for Disease Phenomics

This facility utilises a multidisciplinary approach, from high-throughput scanners (chlorophyll fluorescence, multispectral and thermal) to image plant structure and function with metabolomics and genomics to study plant and pathogen biochemistry and genetics. 

For more information contact Dr Stephen Rolfe

Centres of excellence

The University's cross-faculty research centres harness our interdisciplinary expertise to solve the world's most pressing challenges.