Abstract: A whole plant gas exchange apparatus employs a chamber having a first region for accommodating a growth medium and a root system of a whole plant, and a second region accommodating a canopy of the plant. The regions are separated by a barrier, except for an opening through which the stem of the plant is accommodated. An air source supplies incoming air to the second region through an intake. An air outlet conveys outgoing air from the second region to a gas sensor for analysis of the outgoing air after photosynthetic interaction with the plant canopy. A vent communicates the first region of the chamber to an ambient environment outside the chamber. A resulting pressurized state of the second region is used to exhaust air from the first region through the vent in order to isolate this exhausted air from the analyzed canopy air.

Abstract: A controlled environment enclosure features a heating and cooling system and a control system linked to the heating and cooling system for control of same. The control system being operable to switch between an environmental control mode for achieving user-prescribed environmental conditions within the interior space and a sterilization/pasteurization mode for heating contents of the internal space to values within a range sufficiently elevated above the prescribed environmental conditions to sterilize/pasteurize said contents of the internal space. The built-in sterilization/pasteurization function reduces or eliminates the need for personnel to physically wash down the interior space of the enclosure with cleaning chemicals.

Abstract: A lamp assembly for a controlled environment chamber comprises a frame, a plurality of fluorescent lamps supported on the frame and spaced apart from one another and a plurality of sleeves. Each sleeve is disposed about a respective fluorescent lamp at a distance therefrom to form a space between said sleeve and said respective fluorescent lamp, said sleeve being sealed about said respective fluorescent lamp to prevent air from outside said sleeve from reaching said respective fluorescent lamp. The sleeves are spaced apart to allow airflow therebetween. With the space between each sleeve and the respective lamp being fluidly isolated from air surrounding the sleeve, the light intensity output of the lamp is not as susceptible to reduction under temperature fluctuation in the chamber interior outside the sleeves, while said air remains free to flow between the lamps from one side of the lamp assembly to the other.