Classrooms and Labs

Ulmer Hall houses the science Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Geology and Physics and contains lecture rooms and laboratories for course offerings and independent studies. The Department of Biological Sciences has 8 laboratory classrooms that are used in most of our classes.  Most of these laboratories are small, seating between 16-20 students.

Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory. This lab has the equipment to perform many of the sophisticated molecular techniques used in today's biotechnology laboratories. For example, the lab has an Applied Biosystems GeneAmp 9700 thermal cycler for PCR, an ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer for automated DNA sequencing and human identification using STR's, agarose gel electrophoresis units, hybridization oven for probing Southern Blots, a GeneQuant DNA calculator for DNA quantifying and purity assessment, and a large, class II, Labconco bio-safety cabinet. Students can perform parentage testing and human ID experiments using PCR thermalcyclers, Pipetman® micropipettors, micro- and nano-centrifuges, and a Beckman J2-21 refrigerated centrifuge. Students clone the lux operon from Vibrio fischeri, and sometimes an unknown glowing bacteria, using standard molecular and microbiological equipment such as chemical safety hoods for DNA purification requiring phenol extractions, autoclave sterilizer, shaking waterbaths and incubators for growing and transforming bacteria, and UV photodocumentation systems for ethidium bromide-stained gels. For microscopy, each student will use a top-of-the-line Olympus student microscope (e.g. CH30); or for special needs, students can use an inverted, phase-contrast, Olympus microscope. Our laboratories and equipment can give you the skills to be competitive in the DNA technology fields of today and tomorrow.

Organismal Physiology Laboratory. This lab is equipped with oxygen analyzers and an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) connected to computers. These instruments are used to measure respiration rates of small mammals and insects. The lab also utilizes dual channel oscilloscopes, nerve chambers and modular amplifiers for measuring propagation velocity and other neurophysiological properties of sciatic nerves in frogs.  This instrumentation is also used to study skeletal and cardiac muscle physiology.  EKG analyses also can be conducted in laboratory investigations.