Biology Facilities & Equipment

WSU’s Biology Department offers classes, instructional laboratories and research opportunities in state-of-the-art facilities located in Pasteur Hall and the Science Laboratory Center. 

To prepare students for future careers in the biological sciences, students majoring in biology will take laboratory courses and complete a faculty-supervised research project. 

Our biology curriculum includes hands-on experience in modern laboratory and field techniques and equipment necessary for future careers in the biological sciences. 

Campus Equipment & Facilities

• Fully equipped animal care facility
• Fully equipped tissue culture facility 
• Fully equipped clinical laboratory
• Laboratory with biohazard Level 2
• End Point and Real Time PCR machines
• Microscopy facility containing:
  • Upright fluorescence microscope equipped with phase contrast and a Zeiss mRm.7 camera
  • Inverted fluorescence microscope equipped with DIC optics and a Zeiss mRm.7 camera
  • Scanning electron microscope
  • Multi-headed microscope for teaching purposes
• Gallios 10-Color Flow Cytometer
• Ultracentrifuge and gradient fractionators
• Gel electrophoresis equipment
• Gel and blot documentation systems
• Greenhouse and herbarium complex (located on the third floor of SLC)
• Entomology Teaching Collection
• Mammal Teaching Collection
• Fish & Invertebrate Teaching Collections
• Human Cadaver Dissection Lab

Natural Resources

Our biggest facility is right in our backyard. WSU is located near the Mississippi River Valley, surrounded by bluffs. Our Southeastern Minnesota area offers prairies, woodlands, and aquatic systems where students can engage in field investigations. 

Ecology and Environmental Science will have the opportunity to perform studies using Garvin Heights and the Krueger Woods— both owned by WSU—as well as the surrounding Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge. 

The Biology Department owns 5 boats, allowing for students to gain access to local waterways, and other ecosystems not otherwise accessible. We also have specialized field equipment to conduct studies in those areas.

Large River Studies Center

The Large River Studies Center (LRSC) provides undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct research on large river ecosystems and associated bodies of water. 

This mission was established in recognition of the critical importance of educating students on the importance of research as part of their total educational experience and to provide a better understanding of the fundamental role of science—addressing questions relevant to science and society. 

The LRSC is also responsible for disseminating information about the upper Mississippi River and other large river ecosystems to local, regional, and scientific communities.