Canberra, Thursday 7 March 2002

Minister to open ANU Plant and Animal Research Facility

The Minister for Education The Hon Brendan Nelson will open ANU's new Plant and Animal Research Facility today at 2pm at the Research School of Biological Sciences, Building 46, Biology Place ANU.

ANU's Research School of Biological Sciences recognised that their cutting edge research in the plant sciences required plant culture facilities that could control many aspects of the environment and enable genetically modified plants to be grown under approved regulatory conditions.

The PCF, specified by RSBS plant scientists and designed by May & Russell Architects, has been built to very high standards by John Hindmarsh Ltd in collaboration with the ANU Facilities and Services Group. The building was funded by six million dollars from the ANU's Capital Management Plan

The PCF achieves, for the first time in Australia, the strict plant containment standards set by the Gene Technology Regulator and the Australian Quarantine Service.

The PCF has two major components, one part houses facilities for soil mixing, sterilisation, potting and washing, as well as laboratory analysis. A second containment area houses growth cabinets and 20 specially designed walk in growth rooms.

Experiments utilising genetically altered plants can be safely carried out in these purpose built growth cabinets, that control temperature, light, humidity and carbon dioxide levels. These rooms, designed by Phoenix Research in collaboration with RSBS scientists, are state of the art. Overall the design has met exacting standards to ensure plant materials do not reach the sewage system and that all aspects of plant handling occurs under strict security.

For more information contact Andrew Templeton on 02 6125 5002 or 0412 756 402; Genevieve Turville on (02) 6125 5575 or 0416 249 245

No 30/2002

© 2000 Marketing & Communications Division,
The Australian National University.
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Last Modified Tue, July 16, 2002