1. The growing lamps were purchased cheaply from the police after being seized in various drug raids.
2. One of the research labs grows the castor bean plant Ricinus communis, which produces a potent toxin called Ricin; it was used to assasinated the Bulgarian journalist Georgi Markov when he was stabbed with an umbrella containing Ricin crystals. Consequently, the lab has to keep CSIS informed about any research involving the plant.
3. The special incubation chambers are hooked up to a computer that replicates whatever environmental/climactic conditions are present in a specified area of the world. They lack handles on the inside and can be opened just by pushing the door. A while ago a couple of grad students closed the door behind them and, seeing that there were no handles, thought they were locked in, staying there for 8 hours until someone else opened the door. They must have felt pretty foolish after that.
4. We're not allowed to enter the research labs that grow genetically modified organisms because there's been a history of students destroying such labs, ripping up the all of the plants inside, on account of their fanatical opposition to GMOs.

Here are five movies that I would recommend: Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Pi, American History X, The Boondock Saints, The Virgin Suicides.