PHYTOTEC, a Platform for Plant Experimentations in a Controlled Environment for Industry and Research.
Our expertise is in regard to a lot of plant cultures: Arabidopsis thaliana, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, pees, rice, ray-gras, salads, lucerne, carotts, sunflower, tobacco, quinoa, beech, hazel tree or oak.
A set of 15 measuring chambers
| A set of 15 measuring chambers with adjustable volumes (from a few liters to 1500 liters) are currently used for culture of plants in a fully controlled environment. They are hermetically closed modules in which several environmental parameters can be continuously and precisely regulated. A broad range of parameters can be manipulated : light (until 2000 µmol photons.m-2.s-1), temperature (from 1 to 50°C), relative humidity (from 20 to 80%), plant nutrition (quantitative and qualitative control), atmospheric gaseous composition (N2, CO2, O2, modification of stable isotope level (13C,..) throughout the growth cycle lasting up to several months. Moreover gaseous exchanges between plants and their environment (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration...) can be continuously measured. A computerized controlling supervision ensures a safe functioning 24H/24. |
A set of 9 phytotrons and 2 in vitro growth chambers
In the phytotrons, the main parameters of environment - light, temperature, humidity and mineral nutrition - are controlled. They can be used for production of transformed plants and for plants screening. The total area (70 m2) provides culturing of 20 000 plants of Arabidopsis thaliana at the same time.
2 phytotrons in a "controlled area"
2 phytotrons in a controlled area are dedicated to experiments using radioactive isotopes with plants, microalgae or bacteria.
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Isotopic pulse of plants in the "controlled area" (Credit : Patrick Dumas/CEA) | Hydroponic culture in the "controlled area" (Credit : Catherine Sarrobert/CEA) |