KAUST
maintains a high quality greenhouse which is used for a variety of
research activities by faculty, research staff, and students. The Core Labs greenhouse facility strives to maximize research capability and provide
an open, flexible environment to grow experimental plants for a variety
of research and educational projects.
The greenhouse is 1600 square meters in
area, divided into a head house (500 square meters) and rooms for the
plant growth (1100 square meters). The main body of the greenhouse is
divided into 18 growth rooms. Each room has its own independent system
for controlling temperature, irradiance, photoperiod, humidity, all of
which are monitored through an Argus control system. The greenhouse is
also supplied with filtered seawater to facilitate salinity experiments.
A range of support facilities has been incorporated in the head house, including six controlled environment growth chambers for conducting small experiments, two cold rooms for storage of seeds, stratification of seeds and vernalization of plants and for storing chemicals, a large autoclave, biological safety cabinets, and other minor equipment necessary for the greenhouse operation along with an office for the Greenhouse director and the office space for researchers and students. Current research is focused on increasing the salinity tolerance of crops, such as wheat, barley and tomatoes using molecular approaches, as well as halophyte domestication, using several Salicornia species. For more information, please visit the
Core labs/Greenhouse website.
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