University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) researchers will be able to recreate a range of environmental conditions to investigate how plants respond to heat, drought, pests and diseases following a $500,000 upgrade to the University’s Plant Growth Laboratory in Toowoomba.
The major refurbishment has transformed the existing facility into a purpose-built, controlled-environment research space, strengthening UniSQ’s capability to conduct plant and agricultural research.
The refurbishment included significant upgrades to electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, data and security systems to accommodate specialised plant growth equipment and improve research reliability, efficiency and scalability.
At the centre of the upgrade are new Conviron plant growth chambers, which allow researchers to precisely control environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity and lighting.
The technology enables scientists to replicate specific climates, seasons and stress conditions while maintaining highly stable growing environments, improving the consistency and reproducibility of research outcomes.
UniSQ Technical Services and Operations Associate Director Dr Lauren Goldspink said the upgrade was driven by the increasing demand for controlled-environment research across the University.
“Existing facilities were no longer able to support the growing research demand or the specialised infrastructure requirements needed for modern controlled environment studies,” Dr Goldspink said.
“This refurbishment provides a reliable, compliant and scalable solution that strengthens our research capability while protecting active projects and future growth opportunities.”
The project also included reconfiguring adjacent laboratory spaces and establishing a dedicated nematology extraction laboratory, maximising the use of the existing footprint.
The upgraded facility will support research across crop and plant health, climate resilience, stress physiology, controlled environment agriculture, nematology and plant-soil interactions.
Learn more about UniSQ’s research.
