The
Montgomery 403 growth
chamber facility renovation began in 1999 with demolition of four original-construction
walk-in and reach-in chambers. Funding for acquisition and installation
of five new chambers was obtained through a progressive joint partnership
of the NIU Physical Plant, Graduate School, Plant Molecular Biology
Center, and Department of Biological Sciences. The new chambers are
computer-controlled, providing for precision regulation of environmental
conditions such as light cycle, temperature, and humidity. Additionally,
the facility provides containment capability for plant transgenic and
plant virus experimental protocols.