The University of Guelph Phytotron is located on the roof of the Science Complex in Guelph, Ontario and serves as the primary plant growth facility for faculty, staff and students in the College of Biological Sciences. The goal of the University of Guelph Phytotron is to provide and maintain controlled environment space necessary for research and teaching. Upon opening in March of 2005, the Phytotron included 4 (58 m2) gutter connected greenhouse compartments, 1 (116 m2) gutter connected greenhouse compartment, 1 (14 m2) gutter connected greenhouse compartment, 3 Conviron GR 192s, 5 Conviron GR 64s and a 215 m2 header house. In January of 2006, 6 Conviron E15s, 5 Conviron E8s, and 4 Percival Incubators were relocated from the Axelrod building to the new facility where they underwent various repairs and a good general clean up before being put into use again. In May of 2006 we purchased 18 Conviron PGC20s and 4 PGV36s. The facility for the most part supports the research of faculty from the Department of Integrative Biology and the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph. Some of the research underway at the Phytotron includes: Investigating aspects of the Pepino mosaic virus in wild type tomato (maxifort and microtom), tobacco, and Arabidopsis; Understanding the genetics of nitrogen use efficiency in rice; Adaptation and speciation through genome duplication in fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium); Comparative evolutionary ecophysiology in Pinus; and Seedling growth and mycorrhizal associations of conifer ecotypes (Pinus contorta, Picea glauca × Picea engelmannii, and Abies lasiocarpa) from interior British Columbia. In addition, courses from both departments use space to grow plants for teaching and demonstration purposes in undergraduate labs. Any questions regarding the use of the growth facilities, requests for space, ordering of supplies, and equipment maintenance can be directed to: Michael Mucci
Phytotron Coordinator Science Complex, 5106D Office: (519) 824-4120 Ext. 53960 mmucci@uoguelph.ca | 
