The Biology Department is housed in the Marsh Life Science Building, a spacious three-story structure which provides excellent research and teaching facilities. Located centrally among buildings housing the College of Medicine, the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, and the School of Natural Resources, Marsh Life Science includes research laboratories and teaching classrooms and laboratories.

The Lab & Life Sciences Stockroom

The Lab & Life Sciences Stockroom, located in 004 Marsh Life Science building, is a nonprofit facility that provides convenient on site access to scientific products, many discounted and shipped free of charge. We buy by the case and pass the savings on to you. If we don't stock what you need we offer an ordering service, with overnight delivery on refrigerated/frozen products. Don't have time to stop in? We offer delivery service to main campus locations. We depend on your support for continued operation. Please consider us prior to making your next purchase. We're happy to provide you with a current quote.

Research Equipment Available to Students

Ultracentrifuges, scintillation counters, high pressure liquid chromatography, fluorometers, gel scanners, lyophilizers, densitometers, spectrophotometers, microscopes, mass spectrometers, cell culture facilities, darkrooms, coldrooms, and environmental chambers.

Computing

Many multi-user labs are available on-campus. In addition to these hosts, a wide variety of other computers are owned by specific units at UVM. Most are connected to the campus network and the global Internet, and can be accessed through microcomputers in the Marsh Life Science building. The university has agreements with Apple Computer, Dell Computer, Digital Equipment Corporation and IBM that allow students to purchase microcomputers at a substantial discount.

Libraries

The University libraries hold extensive collections of books and journals in the life sciences. Organismal biology is concentrated in the central Bailey-Howe Library, whereas molecular, cellular, and physiological disciplines are held in the Dana Medical Library. For highly specialized purposes, the inter-library loan service provides efficient access for materials not held at UVM.

Zadock Thompson Zoological Collections

Biology has primary responsibility for the Zadock Thompson Zoological Collections, currently in Blundell House on the Redstone campus. The Zoological Collections, in conjunction with the Pringle Herbarium administered by the Department of Plant Biology, represent the major natural history repository for the state of Vermont.  The vertebrate collections include ~4,000 specimens, including fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, as well as an historic bird egg collection from the early 20th century. The invertebrate collection contains over 300,000 insects, spiders, mollusk shells and other invertebrates. Many of our recently restored mammal and bird mounts are on display in the Benedict Auditorium entranceway, between Marsh Life Science and the Hills building.  For more information and contact info, please visit the collection’s webpage.

Natural Areas

The University owns several natural areas that have been designated for teaching and research. The natural beauty of Vermont can be reached within minutes of leaving Burlington; nearby field sites in wetlands, in ponds or streams, and in secondary-growth forest make UVM an ideal place to conduct ecological research.