College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Core Research Facilities
The greenhouse facilities enhance faculty research and the educational environment within the Department of Biology.
- Plant species can be specific to faculty research goals.
- Greenhouses are used by faculty, staff and students.
- Plants are used for Biology teaching laboratories for undergraduate and graduate students.
- Plants are housed in two different locations.
- Collection incudes a variety of species from many areas around the globe.
- Allows for Cell & Development, Genetics and Evolutional research.
- Tours are given to the general public.
The Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank (DSHB) was established by the National Institutes of Health in 1986 to supply research investigators worldwide with low cost monoclonal antibodies for studies in developmental and cell biology.
- The DSHB has continued to expand its collection through contributions by researchers.
- Over 3,500 monoclonal antibodies are offered by the DSHB.
- Antibodies may be ordered as tissue culture supernatant, concentrate, or ascites fluid.
- Selected hybridomas available as frozen or growing cells.
Engineering Shop
The Engineering Shop allows researchers quick access to repair of valuable research equipment.
- Monitoring of incubators and freezers and other vital equipment on a 24-hour basis.
- Repair of equipment.
For assistance with services and equipment, please email bio-eng@divms.uiowa.edu and include the following information:
- lab affiliation
- location of where the service is needed
- details of the problem
- and any other relevant information such as the MFK to charge the repair (if the repair/service involves departmental common equipment, please state that it is a departmental charge).
Please note that failure to include the above information may delay service.
Information Technology Group
The Department of Biology includes well trained information technology staff members. The IT department is well equipped with the latest technology and provides services to the many departmental staff members. Some of the services include:
- Upgrading and maintaining all teaching IT facilities in the department.
- A fully equipped repair center.
- Knowledgeable computer support personnel experienced in many different systems, applications and platforms.
- Manage a series of networks and security for all computer systems on the departmental networks.
- Web page design and consultation.
- Database creation and maintenance.
For computer support assistance, please email biology-help-sm@uiowa.edu and include the following information:
- lab affiliation
- location of where the service is needed
- details of the problem
- and any other relevant information such as the name of the computer or printer (if accessible)
Please note that failure to include the above information may delay service.
The Roy J. Carver Center for Genomics (CCG) is a research and service center within the Department of Biology on the campus of the University of Iowa (UI). The center supports the research needs of investigators within the Department of Biology, other UI departments, as well as external research groups.
The CCG maintains a centralized laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment and instruments available for investigators to use in their molecular research. All faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and research staff in the Department of Biology have access to the laboratory 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, the center offers a number of specialized services.
Funding to establish and expand the center has been provided by the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. In addition, the CCG is supported by the Department of Biology, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and by user fees. User fees are generally funded through individual researchers who are supported by competitive grants such as those from the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust.
The Carver Center for Imaging facility is equipped with the most up-to-date technology allowing faculty research and education to continue to grow. Some of the equipment in the facility includes:
- Leica SP8 and SP5 scanning laser confocal microscope systems.
- HP Z3200ps poster printer.
- High resolution and fast flat bed scanner, slide scanner, slide maker and an Epson Stylus Photo R2000 printer for archival prints.
The Carver Center for Imaging facility brings depth to our research facilities allowing for use of advanced research methods and teaching of Biological Sciences. For training and access to the scopes, please contact biology@uiowa.edu or call (319) 335-1050.
The Sciences Library is located in close proximity to the Biology Building. This allows faculty and students easy access to vital educational and reference materials. Some of the features of the library are:
- Primary source for materials on plant and animal sciences.
- Houses reserve materials for Biology courses.
- The collection includes materials about Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology.
- Computer workstations available with access to the Internet and indices to scientific literature such as Biological Abstracts and Medline.
- This library is one of the 11 branches of The University of Iowa Libraries.
- Please click here for the hours of operation at the Sciences Library.
The Keck facility provides the most advanced two dimensional and three dimensional dynamic image analysis systems now available in the world for reconstructing and motion analyzing the dynamics of organs, tissues, cells and subcellular compartments. The facility mission is:
- Continue to develop both hardware and software for advanced 2D and 3D reconstruction and motion analysis systems.
- To provide the scientific community with access to these emerging technologies.
- The systems include the dynamic image analysis system 2D-DIAS and 3D-DIAS and the dynamic echocardiogram analysis system DEAS.