Award Abstract #0619046
Acquisition of Growth Chambers for the Univeristy of Georgia Biological Sciences Plant Growth Facility

NSF Org:	DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure
Initial Amendment Date:	July 25, 2006
Latest Amendment Date:	July 25, 2006
Award Number:	0619046
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Steven E. Ellis DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:	September 1, 2006
Expires:	August 31, 2009 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$741499
Investigator(s):	Lisa Donovan donovan@plantbio.uga.edu (Principal Investigator) Jeffrey Bennetzen (Co-Principal Investigator) Rodney Mauricio (Co-Principal Investigator) Zheng-Hua Ye (Co-Principal Investigator) Katrien Devos (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc 621-630 GRADUATE STUDIES ATHENS, GA 30602 706/542-5939
NSF Program(s):	MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	BIOT, 9184
Program Element Code(s):	1189

ABSTRACT

This award is for the acquisition of plant growth chambers for the university's Plant Growth Facility, which is used by faculty, post-docs and students across 3 departments. Researchers associated with this facility have a strong research and education focus on plant evolution, ecology and functional genomics. Their research programs include (1) plant evolutionary ecophysiology - the evolution of low nutrient stress tolerance and desert adaptations, (2) ecological genetics - the genetic basis of adaptive evolution, (3) molecular and evolutionary genetics - comparative structural and functional genomics in grasses, (3) evolutionary genomics - the evolution of genome structure, genes and gene families in higher plants, and (4) plant cell and molecular biology - mechanisms controlling cell differentiation, morphogenesis and wall formation in plants. The growth chambers will also facilitate the research of at least 7 additional users in the evolutionary genetic/genomic community.

The growth chambers will contribute to the current research training of 25 undergraduate students, 32 graduate students, and 18 postdocs in the research labs of 5 major users and 7 additional users. This training will continue the university's strong tradition of mentoring minorities and underrepresented groups in the biological sciences. The growth chambers will also be available for laboratory exercises for inquiry-based labs in several undergraduate and graduate classes. Finally, the growth chambers will facilitate the further development of model plant systems for evolutionary, ecological, and functional genomics: Arabidopsis and crops and their wild relatives (e.g. Helianthus, wheat, pearl millet, finger millet, tef, sorghum, and maize).

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