Arunas Tuzikas, Robert Karlicek and former LESA Researcher Lauren Hartstein completed human factor studies to better understaend how rapid, dynamic changes in light spectral power distribution can impact cognitive performance and comfort. Their findings on the ‘Impact of Dynamic Changes in Light Spectrum Power Distribution on Cognitive Performance & Wellbeing‘ were recently published in LEUKOS – The Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). (more…)

The LESA Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Greenhouse Lighting & Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium experts from Cornell University participated in a four-part guest blog series with LEDs Magazine between July and October. Throughout the series, they discussed research methods, applications, industry trends and future farming insights for controlled environment agriculture. The blog series was extremely popular generating significant interest around LESA and GLASE research initiatives. Two of the four blogs were ranked among LEDs ‘Top 5 Blogs of 2019’ – including the number 1 spot. (more…)

Agung Julius and John T. Wen’s research findings were recently published in PLOS ONE for their work on time optimal entrainment control for circadian rhythm regulation. They have developed ‘new ways to optimize sleep for alertness through light exposure‘ and were featured on Rensselaer News. Their work is part of ongoing research at LESA, resulting in several subsequent publications around circadian function, circadian phase shift, and the effects of healthy lighting funded by the Army Research Office, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense.  (more…)

Erico Mattos named one of only three produce pioneers by Produce Grower magazine.  ‘Options to optimze, Mattos is leading a charge to find more efficient environmental controls for greenhouse growers.’  His expertise and leadership to the GLASE consortium have steadily helped ushered in a renaissance of innovation in both his approach and thinking for controlled environmental agriculture (CEA).

(more…)

Drs. Agung Julius and John T. Wen, and PhD student researcher Jaiwei Yin from Wen’s Research Group published in the Journal of the Homeland Defense & Security Information Analysis Center (HDIAC) Volume: 6 Number: 3 – Biometric Nanosponges as a Broad-Spectrum Countermeasure to Biological Threats for their work on “Optimization of Lighting and Sleep Schedules for Circadian Rhythm Regulation.”

(more…)

Drs. Agung Julias and John Wen‘s methodological approach to assess circadian processes in subjects who have recently experienced traumatic brain injury, using regularly gathered intracranial temperature data. The health effects of circadian regulation are profound, yet assessments of circadian processes are often infeasible in the neurotrauma intensive care unit (ICU).

(more…)

Lighting research consortium brings the CEA community industry-ready technologies. Without light, plants can’t grow. The continued advance of controlled environment agriculture means that sunlight is often supplemented and in some cases completely replaced by artificial lighting. It works well, but there’s one caveat: artificial lighting can take a lot of energy. Reason enough for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to kickstart the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium with $5 million in funding in 2017.

(more…)