The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Plant Transformation Facility was established at the University of California at Davis to provide cost effective plant transformation and plant cell biology services for the plant research community.
Our staff has extensive experience in plant transformation, gene editing and plant cell biology techniques for a wide range of crop plants. We offer fee-for-service transformations, gene editing as well as protocol development in plant transformation and cell biology. The facility's staff has extensive experience in the development of transformation protocols for species for which transformation methodologies are not available or are currently inefficient. We also have significant expertise in protocol development for a wide range of tissue culture processes including micropropagation, plant regeneration, tetraploidization, protoplast isolation etc. Our web-based ordering site allows clients to place and track the progress of their order on-line.
This state-of-the-art facility houses six environmentally controlled chambers designed especially for growth of plant tissue cultures. The facility has a media preparation laboratory equipped with an autoclave, Barnstead Nanopure water system, pH meter, balances and a laminar flow hood for dispensing media. The facility also has a transfer laboratory, which houses four workstations. Each workstation is equipped with a six-foot Nuaire laminar flow hood and a computer to allow data to be entered into the facility’s databases directly from the workstation. Other major equipment includes: a refrigerated shaker, spectrophotometer, refrigerated centrifuges, minus 80 freezer and a Zeiss Discovery fluorescent stereomicroscope.
The facility rents plant growth chamber space on the University of California Davis campus for acclimating plants to soil prior to transfer to the greenhouse.
The facility was established through a generous donation from the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.
Our Mission
Our mission at PTF is to support the Plant research community and facilitate excellence in research and innovation. We accomplish our mission by fulfilling several objectives. First, we foster and support collaboration between our facility, campus researchers, industry, and government institutions. UC Davis students also serve an important role in the future of agricultural research, therefore, PTF undertakes students to train and support their paths towards advance degrees and occupations in research. Furthermore, our facility is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive space in which all staff members, students, and members of the research community are welcomed, respected, and appreciated. Finally, PTF prioritizes accelerating innovative technologies to meet the challenges of modern-day agriculture and advance a more sustainable future.