University of Belize officially inaugurates European Union funded Bio-propagation laboratory at Central Farm Campus
The University of Belize in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Economic Development, Industry, and Consumer Protection, and the European Union will officially inaugurate a Bio-Propagation Laboratory at the Department of Agriculture of the University located at the Central Farm Campus at 2 p.m. on Friday May 27, 2011.
This state of the art facility, fitted with equipment funded by the European Union, will enable Belize to produce large volumes of disease free planting material to benefit the agriculture sector in particular the banana and sugarcane industries in Belize. UB’s President, Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis says through the university’s state of the art meristem laboratory and greenhouse cutting-edge technology, “Belize will no longer need to import planting materials from foreign countries for the banana and sugarcane industries.”
Dr. Lewis added that this bold and unique initiative by the university is another testament of UB’s continued commitment to excellence in research, higher education, and service for national development of Belize. UB experts in the field of Bio-propagation, Dr. Dion Daniels and Dr. Gordon Holder will lead the production of meristems, while Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Dr. Thippi Thiagarajan, will address the research agenda with students from FST.
The greenhouse, measuring 197 ft x 39 ft (720m) and laboratory equipment was made possible through funding by the European Union (EU) valued at Euros 144,423.4 or BZ $395,251.16. The University of Belize to date has invested BZ$135,000 for retrofitting the Laboratory and for additional equipment and supplies, a facility that will contribute to Belize’s food security.
The greenhouse, has an automated irrigation system and a saran netting inside to adjust the illumination that will be used for the acclimatization of banana and sugarcane vitroplants produced in the micro propagation laboratory.
The laboratory equipment donated include four (4) horizontal laminar flows, water distillation unit, laboratory oven, rotary shaker, microwave oven, aluminum hotplate stirrer, multipurpose autoclave, dehumidifier, aluminum stands and lighting systems for the growth chamber in the lab.
Speakers at the event will include officials from the Ministries of Agriculture & Fisheries, Economic Development, representatives from the European Union, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of UB, and President of UB among others.
