The primary function of our facilities is to assist you in becoming familiar with the tools scientists have available to them and how they can be used in determining what organisms do and how they function. One thing that you will never hear when you enter La Salle’s biology facilities is “hands off” the equipment. Instead, it’s “hands-on.” The fact is, all of our high-tech equipment is for everyday undergraduate use. As a student in the Biology program at La Salle, you’ll have a wide variety of general and specialized scientific equipment and facilities available to you. Learning to operate these precision instruments is as essential to your education as any textbook.

The nine laboratories contain specialized equipment pertaining to the courses they serve. Several of these labs are general/multiple use while others are dedicated for specific uses (microbiology/biochemistry, student/faculty research, anatomy /developmental biology).

The department possesses more than 250 compound light microscopes and 50 stereomicroscopes for general lab use. In addition, specialized microscopes for specific types of studies include: scanning electron microscope, U.V. microscope, tissue culture microscopes, phase contrast microscope, dual-view microscopes and several microscopes for photomicrography (digital and 35mm) and microscopes connected to video display systems.

Other equipment supporting our courses includes an ultracentrifuge, high speed refrigerated centrifuges and a number of smaller centrifuges. U.V., infrared and visible wave band spectrophotometers are on site to support lab work/research. NMR and Atomic Absorption spectrometers are available in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Equipment is on site to support microbiological work (autoclaves, laminar flow hoods, incubators, Millipore Filtration equipment, shakers, etc.). The tissue culture laboratory contains its own dedicated laminar flow hood and CO2 incubators for culturing animal cells.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are supported by Fraction Collectors, equipment for various types of Chromatography, Thermocyclers (for PCR) and modern Protein and Nucleic Acid Gel Electrophoresis, -80°C. freezer, liquid nitrogen storage facilities, tabletop and laptop computers and Micropipetting equipment. In addition to various computing facilities around campus, the Holroyd Science center possesses its own computer lab.

Other facilities within the Biology Department include three classrooms equipped for multimedia presentations (Powerpoint, Internet, 35mm slides and more), a greenhouse on the 4th floor of the Holroyd Science Center, and a 2nd greenhouse a short distance away. There is also a Biostation (field facility) located in the Penllyn Natural Area (about 12 miles from campus on the upper Wissahickon Creek) which expands the possibilities for class applications and research.

Field studies are done at the Penllyn Natural Area (and other sites, including the New Jersey Pine Lands) and are supported by portable field spectrophotometers for doing on-site water analyses. Other equipment to support field studies includes a combustion oven for soil samples, clinometers and increment corers.

You’ll soon discover that our Biology department functions like a small village with a true sense of community. Faculty offices, labs and lecture rooms are all located close to one another, the right environment to foster stimulating intellectual interaction with other students and faculty on a daily basis. Plus, all of the courses and labs are taught by professors, not teaching assistants or graduate students. Feel the energy here. It’s the right formula for an enriching and personal educational experience.