Controlled Environment Facility

Learn more about our Controlled Environment Facility, including experiment types and availability for external use.

Equipment information

10 x Environmental simulation chambers – Snidjers MC1750.

Equipment information
Column one shows a parameter, column two lists the specifics of what the controlled environment facility offers.
Internal Dimensions	1850 x 800 x 1150 mm
Growth Height	1.2 m
Temperature	-15 to +50 ± 0.1 °C
Humidity	40 to 90 % (temperature dependent)
Lighting	1000 µMol
CO₂	Monitoring available; limited control

7 x Custom Environmental simulation rooms

Controlled Environment Facility information
Column one shows a parameter, column two shows the capabilities of the controlled environment facility.
Internal Dimensions	2500 x 2400 x 2000 mm
Temperature	+5 to +40 ± 1.0 °C
Humidity	40 to 90 % ± 5%
Lighting	Varies by room

Experiment types

Controlled Environment Cabinets and Rooms are suited for a wide range of experiments. They provide tight control of conditions to create specific conditions for temperature, relative humidity and light environment, to either simulate specific environments or create novel, challenging conditions.

We have hosted a wide range of biological and environmental projects aimed at understanding plant and animal response to environmental factors. Having multiple cabinets and rooms allows powerful experimental designs contrasting different environmental parameters at the same time.

Use has not been limited to growing plants and rearing invertebrates for biological experiments, however. The wide range of temperature and humidity conditions has been harnessed to test impacts of projected climate change on building materials of historic architecture under future conditions, or testing environmental sensors prior to deployment in the field.

External use

We welcome users from outside the university. The considerable range in environmental conditions that can be simulated in the cabinets and rooms lends itself for a wide range of applications across life sciences, material trials and product testing. We are happy to discuss potential applications and explore the suitability and capability of the Controlled Environment Facility to suit the needs of external users.

Contact

Professor Jens-Arne Subke - js79@stir.ac.uk

Tech Matthew Blake – mb91@stir.ac.uk