An extension of the K.C. Irving Building, the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre's Herbarium is a part of the research centre for the
Earth and Environmental Science Department.
We were able to visit Acadia University and this herbarium while passing through Wolfville and found it to be a very edifying and enjoyable sojourn. One of the researchers was working in the greenhouses and was pleased to show us through the herbarium and describe the plants we found interesting, all the while offering a running commentary on what we were seeing and the research being conducted here as we moved through the premises. Especially interesting were the carnivorous plants under cultivation at the centre. Floral fanatics should love this place.
While visiting the herbarium and the science centre, we were able to learn of some of the other research presently being conducted at the centre. An outline of the present activities may be found below.
ULTRAFAST SPECTROSCOPY
Dr. Sherri McFarland joined the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre after the installation of her femtosecond laser, the world's fastest camera and most powerful microscope. This piece of infrastructure, along with its ultrafast detection system, is a necessary tool for understanding the earliest events following light absorption by molecules. Such information is crucial to understanding light-dependent processes such as photosynthesis and solar energy conversion, and in the design of better molecules for photovoltaic devices and luminescent chemical sensing.
CARE
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The Centre for Analytical Research on the Environment (CARE) is located in the laboratory wing of the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre. CARE provides advanced analytical equipment for studying and measuring contaminants in the environment at trace levels.
TISSUE CULTURE
The miniaturization and manipulation of plant material through tissue culture offers several potential advantages for propagation and preservation of select plants, including high rates of multiplication, low amount of starting material required, and flexibility in production cycles and amenability to long term cryo-storage. Currently research in the tissue culture lab at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre is focused on development of "micro"-propagation procedures for woody plants, with emphasis on hardy shrub roses.
From K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre