The Program for Experimental Atmospheres and Climate (PEAC, which means 'to sprout' in Irish) is a state-of-the-art plant growth room facility funded by Marie Curie, UCD College of Sciences and UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science.
The facility comprises a suite of eight CONVIRON BDW40 walk-in plant growth rooms with full monitoring and control of climatic and atmospheric conditions. Each chamber which measures 3.7 m2 in area and 2.4 m in height can concurrently control atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Chamber temperature, relative humidity, light intensity and photoperiod are also all tightly controlled to set point conditions.
The PEAC facility enables researchers within UCD to undertake both long-term and short-term investigation of the ecophysiological, morphological and anatomical responses to any simulated past or future climatic and/or atmospheric scenario under rigorously controlled experimental conditions.