DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES GREENHOUSES
The Department of Biological Sciences Greenhouse Facility is located in the Virginia Tech University Greenhouse Complex on Washington Street, beside the Virginia Tech Horticulture Gardens.
Mission Statement
The Department of Biological Sciences Greenhouse Facility supports the educational and research needs of the department. The Teaching Plant Collection is extensively used for teaching our undergraduate courses. The facility supports faculty and student research projects. In addition to meeting essential teaching and research needs, the facility provides tours for visitors and local schools.
Teaching Plant Collection
The Virginia Tech Biological Sciences Greenhouse Teaching Plant Collection provides educational opportunities and experiences through the availability of high quality plant specimens. The Teaching Plant Collection features over 300 species, hosting a variety of interesting and important genera, including aquatic, desert, tropical, local, rare and endangered species. Our teaching plant collection has been specifically acquired and maintained to meet the needs of the undergraduate courses.
The Virginia Tech Biological Sciences and Biocomplexity Plant Growth Facility
Mission
Whereas the Department of Biological Sciences and the Biocomplexity Institute have limited access to plant growth facilities, a new facility was designed, funded, and constructed. The mission of the facility is to provide "state of the art" plant growth space to support and promote scholarship in plant systems by scientists at Virginia Tech. We strive to fully integrate this facility in the learning, discovery, and engagement activities of the department of Biological Sciences, the Biocomplexity Institute and other plant related departments and institutes at Virginia Tech, including transgenic plant research levels BL1-P, to further promote molecular plant sciences.
The Facility
The "Biological Sciences-BI Plant Growth Facility" (VT-PGF) consists of 3240 square feet of plant growth space divided into five 432 square foot growth bays plus one smaller bay for propagation. The plant growth bays are located on Smithfield Plantation Road and are attached to the Ecosystems Simulation Laboratory building (ESL). Access to restrooms is available in the ESL and the ESL space can be used in the future for facility support. A state of the art computer regulated control system (Wadsworth) will regulate plant growth bay environmental conditions and provide data on the internet. Researchers will be able to obtain specific environmental data from sensors located in each growth bay and request changes of conditions as necessary.
Hours of Operation
Normal Hours:
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Contacts
Deborah Wiley
Greenhouse Curator
(540) 231-5112
dwiley@vt.edu
Dr. Susan Whitehead
Greenhouse Director
(540) 231-2137
swhitehead@vt.edu
Directions
Greenhouse #F5
From Rt. 460: Enter VT Campus at Southgate Road. Take first left onto Duckpond Drive. Take first right onto Washington Street. Turn right at the Horticulture Gardens. The greenhouse facilities are right next door, in Greenhouse #F5. Be sure to get a visitor's parking pass from the Parking and Transportation Center.