UPSC has a number of different growth rooms, cabinets and climate chambers that allow plant growth of transgenic, flowering plants in controlled environments. Their usage is restricted to people that belong to UPSC and their collaborators. Access is only granted after an introduction to the facility including information about working rules and safety regulations.
You can find more information about access, costs, booking of the growth rooms, cabinets and climate chambers below as well as details about growth conditions. The complete rules and regulations for UPSC's Growth Facility can be found here.
We have been granted permission by Jordbruksverket to grow genetically modified organisms (GMO)s inside the Security Greenhouse and under certain restrictions also in the climate chambers, cabinets and the cold room on floor 2, outside of the Security Greenhouse. The detailed rules can be found in the above document "General Rules Greenhouse".
The "GMO safety officers" at the two UPSC departments are currently
The Security Greenhouse contains 8 Arabidopsis Growth Rooms, 8 walk-in chambers, several growth cabinets and four Greenhouse rooms.
The Arabidopsis Growth Rooms are specifically designed for controlled growth of flowering, transgenic plants. Due to permits and security reasons transgenic flowering plants have, without exception, to be grown in this high-security facility. There are special procedures in place to prevent the release of transgenic pollen and seeds.
The access to the growth facility is limited to people that have acquired the necessary information and training regarding the safety regulations and work-rules.
List and conditions of Greenhouse Rooms on Floor 5
Within UPSC, several walk-in climate chambers and growth cabinets are available for conducting studies in a controlled environment. Those are located in the security facility on floor 2 (33 growth cabinets) and in the security facility on floor 3 (8 chambers, 6 growth cabinets) and can be set to a wide range of temperatures and irradiance conditions to suit individual experimental requirements.
Outside of the security area on floor 2 is a cold room available for growing and/or winter-hardening of plants. The light conditions in the cold room are set to short-day conditions (8/16 day/night).
The permission for growing GMOs in these areas is strictly bound to certain rules that must be followed without exception. The usage of these chambers and cabinets is restricted to members of UPSC. These rules are posted on the doors of all growth rooms and they can be find in the document General Rules UPSC Growth Facility.
The chambers and growth cabinets located outside the security greenhouse must be used exclusively for the growth of experimental material. The use for growing Arabidopsis for transformation or seed production is strictly prohibited.
List and conditions of Growth Chambers on Floor 3
Current conditions and bookings of the cold room
UPSC has nine in-vitro rooms dedicated to grow transformed tree material. They are used mainly for poplar. These rooms are a part of the Poplar Transgenics Facility, which is also in charge of security and usage.