New UCD Research Facility Will Address Top Global Challenges of the 21st Century
Research and innovation in Plant Sciences and Agriculture have never been so important. Both are central to the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. How do we feed a growing world population which will reach 9 billion by the year 2050? How do we do so sustainably by increasing yields but minimizing the environmental impact of future crops? How can plants contribute to solving the energy crisis and reduce the impact of global warming? These issues were among those selected as the top 10 challenges in plant science research over the coming decade, in a recently published paper in New Phytologist.
With the opening of UCD Rosemount Environmental Research Station, a new 5 million euro state-of-the-art facility, University College Dublin will actively contribute to finding solutions for these challenges through research and innovation in plants sciences. The facility was officially launched on 27 September, by Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Simon Coveney, T.D.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Jennifer McElwain, Director of PÉAC (Programme for Experimental Atmospheres and Climate) said “The new glasshouse and experimental atmosphere and climate facilities at Rosemount will provide the infrastructure we need to find real solutions to address these important societal issues – we will be able to subject experimental plants to simulated past and future climates in order to better understand the origin of our modern vegetation and agriculture, and predict the future effects of climate change on both”.
The on-campus research station, which is funded by Marie Curie Framework Programme 6, UCD and HEA PRTLI5 will facilitate cutting edge and multidisciplinary research across two UCD Schools (School of Biology and Environmental Science and School of Agriculture, Food Sciences and Veterinary Medicine) and both national and international collaborators (Teagasc, TCD, UCG, University of Giessen, and University of Essex, John Innes).
Pictured at the launch of UCD Rosemount Environmental Station are Ms Joanna Kacprzyk, SBES Phd student, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Simon Coveney, T.D., and Ms Rosanna Hennessy, SBES PhD student.
About UCD Rosemount Environmental Station
UCD Rosemount Environmental Research Station is located within the curtilage and former walled yard of Rosemount House which was one of a number of former estates that were combined to form the UCD Belfield campus. These facilities are located in the southwest corner of the campus and incorporate high specification production and containment glasshouses, PÉAC: Programme for Experimental Atmospheres and Climate, the Irish National apple collection, experimental turf grass facilities, automatic weather station and teaching facilities. UCD RERS is co-managed by UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science (SBES) and UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Science (SAFV) and is used by researchers and students from both schools and UCD School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS).