Overview
The Duke University Phytotron is a plant environment laboratory housing sixty-seven growth chambers and six fully enclosed and climate-controlled glasshouses. The Phytotron’s growth chambers and glasshouses are available for rental by Duke researchers, as well as researchers at other universities and private companies. Although the Phytotron was designed to carry out botanical research, its growth chambers can also accommodate research from other fields of study. Phytotron growth chambers have housed sea urchins, various arthropods, wearable safety equipment, and medical instruments over the years.
The Phytotron is staffed seven days a week, and our staff perform all routine plant care tasks, including watering, fertilization, and pest control, allowing off-site researchers to run experiments without having to make extended visits. Dedicated Phytotron mechanical staff are on-call 24/7 to ensure chamber malfunctions are corrected before experiments are affected. Phytotron horticultural and mechanical staff are available to assist with design and setup of experiments.
| Chamber Type | # Available | # Occupied | Duke User Rental Fee (per day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| R Chamber Type 1 | 9 | 5 | $2.25 |
| R Chamber Type 2 | 0 | 8 | $3.57 |
| R Chamber Type 3 | 5 | 3 | $3.57 |
| G Chamber | 6 | 0 | $8.65 |
| S Chamber Type 1 | 3 | 7 | $9.99 |
| S Chamber Type 2 | 1 | 0 | $14.92 |
| L Chamber | 1* | 9 | $28.49 |
| T Chamber | 8 | 0 | $13.57 |
| Glasshouse Chamber | 2 | 4 | $25.22 |
Contact max.betts@duke.edu for rental fees for users outside of Duke *Chamber L-5 is available for rent but is not set up in the same configuration as the other L chambers. Contact max.betts@duke.edu for more information. | |||
Equipment
This is a noninclusive list of equipment available for Phytotron users. Check with the Phytotron staff for more information. Before using any of the workshop equipment users must receive shop safety training. Contact Todd Smith <tghsmith@duke.edu> for shop safety training.
- growing media mixer and steaming equipment
- reverse osmosis water treatment system
- Type II "Laboratory Grade" water treatment system
- drying oven
- balances
- leaf area meters
- thermocouples
- quantum sensors
- dataloggers
- LI-COR 6200 photosynthesis system
- Apogee PS-100 spectroradiometer
- fertilizer injectors
- pH and conductivity meters
- workshop
- table saw
- drill press
- lathe
- bench sander
- band saw
- bench grinder
- soldering irons
Supplies
A supply of commonly used horticultural supplies, including various artificial soil mixes, containers, and labels, are kept in stock. We can order any additional necessary supplies. All supplies are charged at our wholesale cost to the respective fund code. Please check with Phytotron staff concerning supply needs. Researchers may provide their own supplies subject to Phytotron approval.
| Chamber Description: | Chamber Specifications: |
|---|---|
Each of these units contains 2 small reach-in chambers capable of independent control. Chamber Features:
| Chamber Dimensions: Chamber Capacity: up to three 10" x 20" trays Temperature: 5°C-40°C Humidity Range: 40%-90% Light Intensity: 50-250 µmol/m2/s Number of Chambers: Seven units with two chambers each for a total of fourteen chambers |
| Chamber Description: | Chamber Specifications: |
|---|---|
"R" chambers are small reach-in chambers, with dimmable lighting and adjustable CO2 control. These chambers are ideal for small plants that need more room than typical rack lighting setups offer. Chamber Features:
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| Chamber Description: | Chamber Specifications: |
|---|---|
"R" chambers are small reach-in chambers, with dimmable lighting and adjustable CO2 control. These chambers are ideal for small plants that need more room than typical rack lighting setups offer. These chambers use ceramic metal halide lamps to provide high light intensity. Chamber Features:
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| Chamber Description | Chamber Specifications |
|---|---|
"G" chambers are larger reach-in chambers with low light intensity, temperature, humidity, and CO2 control. These chambers are ideal for small plants such as Arabidopsis. Each G chamber consists of two shelves capable of holding 6 trays worth of plants, with the same temperature and humidity throughout. Lighting can be adjusted for each shelf. These chambers are capable of lower temperatures than most, as low as 1°C with lights off and 6°C with lights on. Chamber Features:
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| Chamber Description | Chamber Specifications: |
|---|---|
"S" chambers are small walk-in chambers with high light intensity, temperature, humidity, and CO2 control. These chambers are ideal for small to medium sized plants, with a maximum growing height of 6 ft. Chamber Features:
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| Chamber Description: | Chamber Specifications: |
|---|---|
This small walk-in chamber is equipped with rack lighting and humidity control. Chamber Features:
| Chamber dimensions: 2.4 m wide x 1.2 m deep x 2.1 m tall Temperature: Lighted: 12° to 40° C; Dark: 10° to 30° C Humidity range: 40%-90% Maximum light intensity: 300 µmol/m2/s PAR |
| Chamber Description: | Chamber Specifications: |
|---|---|
These large walk-in chambers feature 3.6-meter-high ceilings to accommodate tall crops like maize, or small trees. The wall between each pair of T chambers is removable to create a larger combined space if needed. Chamber Features:
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| Chamber Description: | Chamber Specifications: |
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"L" chambers are large walk-in chambers outfitted with customizable rack lighting. Both LED and fluorescent lighting units are available. These chambers also feature desiccant dehumidifiers which allow for a broader range of humidity control. Chamber Features:
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| Chamber Description: | Chamber Specifications: |
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| The Phytotron has six glasshouse units that can be tightly controlled for temperature and CO2. Unlike a traditional greenhouse, these units have no external ventilation and are cooled by dedicated air handlers. This allows for better temperature control and protection from common pests. These units are skinned with large panes of low-iron glass for maximum light transmittance and feature supplemental HPS lighting. |
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