Our research facilities available for laboratory work are extensive and modern. The department houses several common facilities for use by faculty and students. These include computing facilities (see below), greenhouses, animal care facilities, a confocal and scanning electron microscope , and a DNA sequencing facility.

Additionally, several highly funded research programs provide state-of-the-art facilities and opportunities such as the Microbial Observatory which focuses on the molecular and ecological characterization of microbial groups in alpine ecosystems, the Niwot Ridge Ameriflux site which focuses on carbon, water and energy exchanges between a subalpine forest and the atmosphere, and the Research Coordination Network in Historical Developmental Biology ( MORPH ) which coordinates research & training activities across the country in the area of evolutionary developmental plant biology. Affiliations with other departments and institutes provide access to even more research facilities and opportunities including access to the Niwot Ridge LTER alpine study site , the CU Mountain Research Station , the Stable Isotope Laboratory and and Biogeochemistry laboratory at INSTAAR , the animal and plants collections at the CU Museum , and the Biodiversity Informatics system , also at the CU Museum. And, of course, each faculty member maintains a laboratory equipped with instrumentation and equipment appropriate for his or her specialty.

Greenhouses
Mackey, Ramaley, & our large 30th Street Greenhouse State-of-the-art greenhouses which are used for a variety of research and teaching activities. Contact Tom Lemieux for further information. Greenhouse webpage.

Confocal Microscope
Ramaley NB180 Confocal microscopy has the advantage over conventional optical microscopy of eliminating out-of-focus blur from images. This allows generating three-dimensional images of thick transparent specimens without the need for physical sectioning. The non-invasive nature of the technique allows its application even to living specimens. The EBIO Confocal Imaging Facility is equipped with a Leica TCS SP2 AOBS confocal microscope and is open to all members of the Boulder campus after appropriate training in its use. A charge of $15 per hour is applied to its use. The facility also possesses a Leica MZFLIII fluorescence stereomicroscope for sorting or orienting fluorescent specimens. For additional information, contact Dr. David Stock or visit the confocal website .

DNA Sequencing Facility
Ramaley C271A The sequencing facility supports faculty and graduate student research projects that are based on DNA sequences, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), or microsatellite data. The facility runs completed reactions on an MJ Research Base Station 51 and is staffed by a graduate student RA. The facility also provides advice and instruction to all members of the department on DNA extraction, the polymerase chain reaction, the purification of DNA fragments for sequencing, and the analyses of sequence and genotyping data. Contact Susan Perkins for further information

For a full description of the extensive, up-to-date computing facilities all students of the University of Colorado have access to, including wireless access and numerous "smart" classrooms, see The University of Colorado, IT Services page