Teaching labs such as this one feature several smaller tables where students often work in teams to complete experiments. Two additional cabinets (foreground) are used for demonstration materials. Over the two semesters of general biology, lab exercises focus on the basic principles of biology including evolution, cellular/molecular biology, genetics, and the diversity of life.
This state-of-the-art lab in Nobel Hall is home to our Human Anatomy and Physiology courses.
This lab includes specialized equipment for Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, and other courses. In Molecular Biology, a variety of sophisticated equipment and advanced techniques are used to isolate, clone, and express genes from both bacteria and mammalian cells.
This lab in Morrell is home to Comparative Animal Physiology, a course where students explore human physiology (like the treadmill exercise shown) along with many other live animal species.
An upper-level course in Neurobiology is offered in this laboratory every year. Students learn how to record the electrical activity of neurons using microelectrodes. In subsequent labs, students inject neurons with fluorescent dyes, study impulse conduction and synaptic transmission, and analyze the properties of neuronal circuits. The semester ends with a student-designed independent project. In the spring, this lab is used to teach General Biology for Social Sciences labs, a required course for Psychology majors. Students dissect preserved specimens to learn the anatomy of various organs. In addition, they carry out physiology experiments and computer simulations to learn fundamental principles of human physiology.
Every biology major will take at least one course in the organismic and population biology course area. Several field courses fulfill this requirement, including Ecology, Biology of the Vertebrates, Biology of the Invertebrates, and Ornithology. Labs emphasize field trips to sites in the Capital Region, including Thacher State Park, Peebles Island, the Pine Bush Preserve, and more!
Students in Research and Writing Skills for Biologists (BIOL190, also known as "SciWriting"), design experiments, analyze data, and learn how to write a scientific research article.
Each fall semester, several sections of Cell Biology run in this laboratory. Students perform experiments to stain and identify cell organelles, isolate proteins by electrophoresis, fractionate cellular components by differential centrifugation, and measure enzyme function in mitochondria and chloroplasts. In the spring semester, one or more upper-level courses are taught here. In Microbiology, students isolate microorganisms and culture them on various media to determine their morphological and physiological characteristics. Students also conduct more advanced experiments to reveal the biological activities of bacteria and other microorganisms. In Plant Physiology, students investigate plant-water relations, photosynthesis, metabolism, and how plants respond to changes in their environment.
Students in Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and other morphology classes use this lab space to dissect specimens and study the morphology of various species.
In the biochemistry lab, students first learn basic techniques for the isolation of proteins and the analysis of enzyme kinetics. This is followed by a long-term project in which student teams purify a protein using chromatography and gel-electrophoresis equipment.
Multiple microbiology courses use this lab space, which allows students to safely investigate microbes using state-of-the-art equipment.
Each of our main teaching laboratories is flanked by support spaces. These include rooms used to prepare, equipment, and other materials in support of the teaching activities taking place in the main lab. The department's full-time technician spends much of her time in this room, assisting faculty in prepping general biology labs.
This room allows students and faculty to carry out experiments requiring sterile conditions. The facility features two laminar-flow hoods (large unit to the left) and CO2 incubators for growing cultured cells under tightly controlled conditions.
This small seminar room is a great place for student study groups to meet after class or for clubs to hold meetings. Computers and printers are available in this room for students.
Also known as the "Plant Room", this large space in Morrell is a sunny spot to study or eat while in the building.