VAL: Why, What, How and Who?

• Motivating Questions• Initial Design Ideas• Comparison to other approaches• The Workshop• Challenges

Biological Impacts of Biological Impacts of Climate ChangeClimate Change

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Humans are causing major alterations in the environment, including changes in temperatures, atmospheric CO2, UV radiation and many trace pollutants.

The biological effects of these multifactorial changes are difficult to study experimentally.

Paleontology and Paleontology and GeologyGeologywww.ucmp.berkeley.ed

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We lack a basic understanding of how these historical conditions affected biological and geological processes.

Historical changes in the Earth’s environment (i.e. temperature, atmospheric O2 and CO2) have been very large relative to anticipated changes over the next 100 years.

Astrobiology and the Astrobiology and the Evolution of LifeEvolution of Life

What environmental conditions allow life to evolve?

Which exoplanets are most likely to support life?

How did early conditions on earth influence evolution of life on earth?

Environmental Air Environmental Air Quality and Health Quality and Health

IssuesIssues

Respiratory diseases are at epidemic levels in industrialized countries.

Which pollutants or interaction of pollutants are most critical?

Why does one person respond with pathology when others do not?

Current studies limited mostly to examination of single pollutants over short time periods.

Agricultural Agricultural ImpactsImpacts

Major need will be to test the environmental resistance of genetically-engineered crops.

How will interactive effects of higher temperatures and CO2, available water, (and variance in these parameters) affect agriculture?

VAL Design

• 60 “mini-worlds” with a suite of controlled environmental variables – Most terrestrial miniworlds 5 x 5 x 3 m; some larger– 5 L (microbiological) and 250 L (metazoan) aquatic

chemostats

• Flexible design which can be adapted for specific question or organisms of interest

• Takes advantage of economic advantages of industrial gas generation

VAL Design

Adjacent scientific labs/offices

Housing for visitors

Remote data acquisition

Designed for educational outreach

Controllable Variables• Oxygen: 5-95 kPa [0.2-5 N] • Nitrogen: 5-95 kPa [0.05 – 1.2 N] • CO2: 0-2 kPa [0 – 5000 N] • Temperature: 5-45°C (subset of units to be designed to

reach extreme high and low temps) • Humidity: 0-95% • Light: 0 to 1500 watts m-2 (solar simulators [0 – 1 N],

timed to control photoperiod) • Ultraviolet radiation: 0-5 watts m-2 [0 – 5 N] (solar

spectrum mimic) • Trace Gas Control: 0-2 kPa

Comparison to Other Approaches

Ecotron

FACE

NEON

BIOSPHERE 2 PHYTOTRON

Advantages of VAL

• Allows experimental manipulation of replicated environments on both short and long-term time scales

• Comprehensive control of most major environmental variables

• Flexibility of design allows application to broad range of disciplines

Workshop

The purpose of the workshop is to gather diverse, expert opinion on the design and construction of VAL, with a special emphasis on the identification of:

1) the most important scientific problems that cannot currently be addressed in a cost-effective manner without VAL

2) key design features necessary for the success of VAL.

Challenges• Engineering/Design

– Optimizing design for gas generation and regulation– Optimizing design for flexible use– Cost/benefit analysis of features– Animal care and health concerns– Minimizing environmental impact

• Economic– Finding/funding engineering partners– Funding construction– Funding operations

Plan for Actualization of VAL1. Workshop: Scientific goals and design

needs

2. Identify engineering/private partner: preliminary design and cost estimates

3. Garner endorsements

4. Funding for full design (DOE, NSF, NASA, NIH, EPA)

5. Funding for construction and operations