We wake up this morning to discover that the CSA guys are WAY ahead of schedule and will be leaving today (3 days early). When they leave Anna-Lisa and Rob will be flying out and so will Chris from Honey Bee Robotics who I haven't even gotten a chance to talk to except while serving meals.
The Green House is empty-
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| Arthur C. Clark Greenhouse July 26, 2011 |
But science continues-
Science disclaimer: I may not have all the terminology perfect I wasn't taking note. I was just watching in awe.
When taking apart the greenhouse and packing stuff for shipping they came across some acid used for cleaning stuff ( I think). To ship this small amount of stuff would require a large amount of paperwork and hassle so...... Our greenhouse team poured the acid over calcium rich rocks which created harmless gases and uncovered fossils within the rocks.
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| Acid eating away at rocks to reveal fossils |
The Canadian Space Agency guys were wonderful to work with. I'm sad they left early but with the weather always uncertain you leave when you can. 2 planes came in today to pick up their stuff. And a final plane took 7 camp members away.
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| The joint CSA and University of Florida Greenhouse Research Team |
Science Disclaimer: I was cooking dinner while hearing this - I've actually heard it several times but it just didn't sink in.
Before they leave I overhear Anna-Lisa talking about her project and suddenly I realized I had been missing a big part of the research. Not only are they watching plants grow in the greenhouse via cameras. But the plants are also telling them when they are being "stressed-out" by their environment. The seeds planted in the greenhouse are genetically modified so that they"glow" when under stress. The cameras can see the color change and data can be collected regarding the conditions during these periods.
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| Greenhouse project sticker |
One final word of thanks to Anna-Lisa and Rob for reawakening in me an interest in plant biology beyond what can be covered in a Kinder and 1st grade science class. I have a friend Jenya Bohr who should meet you!
Hi Julie - I am a few years late for a timely comment, but it is wonderful to revisit the 2011 arctic field season through your eyes; was truly great to have you on the team! If you are interested in seeing what we are currently doing in the plant space biology business you can browse our UF Space Plants web site (http://ufspaceplants.org/). Cheers! ALP
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