ISU President Martin Jischke announced a $3 million gift to the Plant Sciences Institute Tuesday afternoon in Des Moines.

Jischke made his announcement in the third-floor lobby of the Marriott Hotel, 700 Grand Ave., in downtown Des Moines. Steve Sullivan, director of ISU News Service, said the gift came from the Roy J. Carver trust, and it will help fund the Carver Co-Laboratory in the Plant Sciences Institute, a $7 million project.

“The Co-Laboratory is the place where Iowa State researchers will collaborate with researchers outside of the university,” Sullivan said.

Colin Scanes, interim director of Plant Sciences Institute, said the Roy J. Carver trust finances scientific research in Iowa, and he believes Iowa State has already received a total of $11 million for various projects from the trust.

Scanes said the gift will be used for many things, specifically providing new laboratory space. He said lab space was in shortage, and the $3 million should help change that.

“This will give a significant increase in quality lab space,” he said.

Scanes said he was pleased with the gift.

“I’m delighted; we had a really nice commemoration of that today, with legislators and businesspeople and the people of the Carver trust,” he said.