Aquinas College :: Biology Department

Albertus Hall Science Facilities

On Campus

Off Campus

Equipment

On Campus Facilities

Microbiology Laboratory

Our micro lab contains most of our freezers, thermocylers, and PCR rigs, as well as dyes and equipment pertinent to the study of bacteria, protests, and fungi. The typical classes that utilize this space are Microbiology BY231 and Genetics BY328.

Ecology Laboratory

This laboratory is often used for field classes that might involve students wearing waders and traipsing through water or mud. Equipment used for collecting field data, such as water quality samples, GPS coordinates, and soil samples, are all stored in this room. Our herbarium consisting of over 685 species from 145 plant families is also housed in this lab. The plant specimens range in age from the founding of the college to the present day and were collected from all over the United States. Ecology BY352, Aquatic Field Ecology BY275, and Plant Taxonomy BY264 are typical classes held here.

Biology Teaching Laboratories

These laboratories are utilized for a variety of biology courses. From microscopes to preserved specimens for dissection, much of the equipment and supplies needed for scientific inquiry are employed here. General Biology 160, Botany BY161, Zoology BY162, Neuroscience BY324, Parasitology BY341, Physiology BY372, as well as others alternate utilizing these laboratory spaces.

The Greenhouse

Our greenhouse consists of one temperate room and one tropical room space. Plants grown for BY161 are often found here as well as some permanent residents. It is great to walk inside the warm atmosphere and enjoy the orchids in bloom in the middle of the Michigan winter.

The Tree Walk on Campus

The Aquinas campus was the former Holmdene Estate of Edward and Susan Blodgett Lowe. The estate consisted of 69 acres of farm, park and wooded land. The manor house, consisting of twenty-two rooms and built in the English Tudor Renaissance style, was completed in 1901.

The campus is a heavily wooded area, and represents, among other plant communities, two types of forests: the Beech-Maple Deciduous Forest, and the Coniferous Forest. These forests contain most of the trees native to Michigan. The landscaped areas are famous for their variety of introduced species. Two streams flow through the campus; there is also a pond community present. This diversity of communities provides great habitats for a large number of local plant species. A total of 108 trees and shrubs growing on campus are marked with wooden markers. A map listing the species names and location corresponding to the marked flora is available to guide students and visitors. >>Download the Nature Trails Map

Off-Campus Field Space

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

Through a partnership with Aquinas College, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, a biological field station in Hastings, Michigan, offers a number of rare qualities that make it attractive to the student and faculty member in the natural sciences.
Situated in Southwest Michigan, the Institute’s 661 acres includes wetlands, forests, and meadowlands. The facilities are up-to-date and modern. Committed to environmental education, the Institute provides students an opportunity to engage in hands-on and practical field

experiences through research, field trips and courses. Summer research grants are available.

Additional Biology Equipment

ABI 377 Sequencer

45°C Autobac Incubator

37°C Napco Incubator

30°C Chicago Surgical & Electrical Co. Incubator

30°C Fisher Scientific Incubator

25°C Chicago Surgical & Electrical Co. Incubator

5°C Kenmore Refridgerator

5°C Baxter-Cryo Refridgerator

-80°C New Brunswick Scientific Freezer

Sylvania Turbo Wind Columns