News and events
A new plant growth facility at UQ
Over the course of the past year, an advisory committee has been investigating options for a new state-of-the-art plant growth facility. This multi-story facility with a proposed footprint of approximately 3900m2 will cater to high-end plant research in the near future. Construction is set to begin in 2020 on this exciting new space.
Commendation award
Congratulations to CGS Staff Members Daniel Schwartz and Jodie Smith, who were awarded a UQ Commendation Award for Excellence in Service, for going above and beyond in their support of research in the facility.
Delegates and documentaries
UQ Glasshouses hosted several documentary film crews in 2019, and welcomed a group of delegates from Thailand. After the tour, staff members brainstormed with the delegates to help resolve some of the issues they have been having in their own facilities.
CGS at Showcases and Expos
Plants and seedlings were provided for the Faculty of Science Research Capabilities Showcase trade booth, and Glasshouse staff members spoke to UQ staff, students and outside industry stakeholders about the glasshouse facilities, and the world-class research that takes place there. The glasshouses also had a presence at the New Staff Expo, providing information on the facility to new UQ staff members.
Thinking outside the box for pest control
2019 has seen the Central Glasshouse Services working hard to improve pest control measures. Staff have undergone refresher training and the facility has conducted integrated pest management trials using companion and sacrificial plants. These trials have shown a lot of promise and have provided a greater understanding of the type of plants to use throughout the glasshouses in 2020 to provide an alternative to traditional pesticides. CGS aims to cut back on pesticide applications in the near future, in order to minimise their detrimental side effects on research experiments.
Improvements to non-sterile media
Non-sterile media trials were also continued this year, to provide the best products for clients’ research outcomes. Our production and delivery of media has also increased, with totals this year of 110,000L! If you have been using our media, your feedback would be much appreciated.