CABBI is the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, a U.S. Department of Energy-funded Bioenergy Research Center. CABBI is a collaboration between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 20 partner institutions.
The Challenge
The primary challenge researchers faced was the lack of existing facilities that could house tall bioenergy grasses and allow for stable isotope labeling to study plant-microbe interactions.
The Solution
To address this gap, CABBI purpose-built high growth height and stable isotope labeling chambers to study plant growth and interactions with soil microbes under tightly controlled environmental conditions.
CABBI’s six Conviron model BDW160 plant growth rooms feature extended growth height and have been further modified by CABBI to support its advanced stable isotope research program.
Plexiglass modular enclosures within the growth chambers can be adjusted in height as the plants grow. The chambers aim to mimic the field environment in regard to light spectrum, intensity, and growth conditions. They also allow precise control over water and nutrient delivery to fully enable the study of bioenergy grasses that are essential for sustainable energy production.
Sorghum plants grow within four modular plexiglass segments stacked on top of a base container - enabling plants to mature to a height of up to 6 ft (2 m) tall. Tubes are connected to each growth chamber to pipe in stable isotopically labeled CO2 in large quantities. The plants take up this 13C-CO2, which makes it possible for researchers to track that carbon through the plant and soil.
Unique Features of the Chambers
Modular Design: Height-adjustable plexiglass modules to house individual plants up to 2 m tall
Stable Isotope Labeling: Tubes are connected to each growth chamber to pipe in stable isotopically labeled CO2 in large quantities, enabling tracing of carbon compounds from the plant into soil and into microbial DNA
Removable Panels on Base Container: Live roots can be accessed to sample compounds exuded from the roots by removing panels on the base container of soil.
Research Overview
In initial experiments, researchers aimed to identify the optimal growth conditions for bioenergy plants inside the growth chambers and understand how their high-value products are distributed across leaves, stems, and roots. As they harvest their experiments, researchers then look at specific compounds within different plant tissues so that they can understand where the high-value products such as lipids are being produced and how they may better achieve targets of increasing the lipid content of crops.
Researchers are also looking into the composition of the compounds being released from the roots, the composition of plant residues, and how that links to the activity and growth of the microbial community that is cycling nutrients in the soil and contributing to soil carbon storage.
I'm really excited about this facility because using stable isotope tracers allows us to look specifically at these plant-microbe interactions, and that will allow us to answer questions that we haven't been able to address before.
Dr. Wendy Yang, Professor of Plant Biology & Geology and CABBI Sustainability Theme Leader, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The Result
The custom-built growth chambers have significantly advanced CABBI’s ability to study bioenergy grasses and their interactions with soil microbes. This advanced facility opens new avenues for research, enabling the CABBI team to push the boundaries of the discovery process.
