Charles River expands glasshouse capacity at Edinburgh facility to 550m²

For over 30 years, dedicated research grade glasshouses have been an integral part of the plant metabolism facilities at Charles River’s sites in both Edinburgh, UK and Lleida, Spain. These complement adjacent facilities where outdoor radiolabelled studies are conducted. The company announced the recent expansion of its facilities at the Edinburgh site to 24 individual glasshouse compartments together with an increased area for outdoor trials. Capable of housing large rotational crop studies as well as taller crops such as fruit trees and sugar cane, the increased glasshouse capacity brings the total area in Edinburgh to 550m², while another two glasshouses at our Spanish facility have a combined total area of 300m². Clients, who are already benefiting from the improved flexibility in their study scheduling, have welcomed this increase in space. In line with existing facilities, glasshouse temperature control is achieved using temperature sensors linked to electric or oil heating, motorised roof ventilation, and electric extraction fans. Horticultural-grade lighting is used throughout.
 

Studies typically use carbon-14 radiolabelled molecules to assess the degradation of agrochemical products post-application. A wide range of species from all crop groups can be grown within our glasshouses if an outdoor trial is not appropriate. A specialist, integrated team of plant metabolism scientists, using formulations and application methods that simulate the intended use in the field, conducts such studies. Scientists are organised into six Study Director teams with horticultural support, based at Edinburgh, who liaise with an additional team at Spanish field trials base and structural elucidation chemists for mass spectroscopy.
 

All of the company’s studies are also supported by an in-house regulatory team who are on hand to guide and advise on the design of both individual studies or the entire program, ensuring the best possible outcome for their clients’ submission.