A Better, Greener World - UCSB scientists conduct top-caliber botanical research in cutting-edge biology greenhouses

March 30, 2015

LED grow lights in the greenhouses generate the blue and red light that most plants favor, making them glow purple at night. Credit: Nate Emery

At UC Santa Barbara, the high-tech research greenhouses are more sophisticated than many smart homes. Temperature and lighting are automated to create and maintain specific environmental conditions researchers need for experimental work. For example, when the temperature rises, the sensors in the thermostat signal shade cloths to close in order to modify the amount of sunlight coming into the greenhouse.

The first of UCSB’s three state-of-the-art facilities began with a gift from the late environmental studies professor Barry Schuyler and his wife, Jean. With that facility in process, the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology (EEMB) Greenhouse Oversight Committee applied for and received a $1.7 million National Science Foundation grant to complete the Schuyler Greenhouse and to build two others, including an alpine greenhouse.