CEA Principles and Applications Class Graduates Third Successful Cohort
July, 2026
The 2026 AGRI 4990 Controlled Environment Agriculture Principles and Applications course has successfully concluded. Students gained hands-on experience with controlled environment agriculture through lectures, laboratory activities, research, and applied learning. Student labs provided direct experience in the Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility, developing skills and knowledge in plant production, hydroponic systems, environmental monitoring and control, and technologies used in CEA. AGRI 4990 was developed with funding from the Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP), which has supported CEA education and workforce development at the University of Wyoming.
Student Satish Adhikari transfers plant starts into a vertical hydroponic system
Tri-CEA All Hands Meeting Held at the University of Wyoming
June 22–23, 2026
The University of Wyoming hosted the Tri-CEA All Hands Meeting June 22–23, bringing together collaborators from across the NSF-funded “Harnessing Controlled Environment Agriculture to Secure Sustainability and Economic Growth” project. The project, a collaboration among UW, the University of New Mexico, the University of South Dakota, New Mexico State and Santa Fe Community College.
During the two-day meeting, project partners presented research updates and findings, discussed progress toward project goals, and planned upcoming research and collaborative activities. Participants also visited the University of Wyoming Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility (PGPF), where they toured CEA research spaces and learned about the facility's capabilities for supporting controlled environment plant research.
The PGPF provides infrastructure and resources for plant growth, environmental control, phenotyping, and related CEA research at UW. The facility supports research associated with Tri-CEA and provides a setting for connecting plant science research with the technologies and approaches being investigated across the broader project.
Tri-CEA project collaborators outside the University of Wyoming Science Initiative Building during the 2026 All Hands Meeting
oQulus Plant Imaging Arrives at the Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility
April 2026
A continuation of the phenotyping project led by PhotosynQ brings oQulus to the research bay of the PGPF. oQulus is a proprietary, patented photosynthesis imaging system. Mounted on the facility's newly installed robotic gantry, the system combines multiple imaging technologies to automatically capture detailed data on plant development throughout the growing cycle.
oQulus plant phenotyping system used for high-throughput imaging and plant trait measurements at the PGPF
Robotic Gantry Installed by Crane
January 8, 2026
The Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility celebrated a major construction milestone with the delivery of the robotic gantry system. Using a large crane, crews carefully lifted the massive overhead structure into the greenhouse, where it will support one of the most advanced automated plant research imaging systems in the region. This project is led by PhotosynQ, industry leaders in phenotyping systems.
The technology will help researchers study crops more efficiently, supporting discoveries that can improve agricultural productivity, sustainability, and resilience. Read more about the project on the Phenotyping Project webpage.
The installation crew prepares to lift gantry components with a crane
The crew carries the robotic gantry into research bay
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.