Where We Live:
Facilities and Infrastructure
The New Albro-Faulkner-Manley Science Center extends the tradition that began in historic Tapley Hall
Supporting Research
The Spelman Biology Department enjoys one of the best facilities for undergraduate science training in the country. We are housed in the Albro-Falconer-Manley Science Center, a beautiful state-of-the-art research and training facility, fully equipped to support contemporary life sciences research.
The Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Sciences departments are also housed in the Science Center, and the building supports collaboration and cross-disciplinary research and teaching among science faculty.
All biology faculty members have dedicated space in open design research laboratories, where they maintain active research programs with students throughout the year.
In addition to our research labs, shared spaces are maintained to support basic research activities including a Level 2 tissue culture lab, microbiology lab, imaging lab equipped with standard fluorescent and confocal microscopy, isolation lab for animal behavior studies, walk-in cold room, plant growth chamber and maintenance facilities for vertebrate organisms (fish and frog colonies), and dedicated chemical prep and autoclave rooms. In addition to standard lab equipment, the department’s holdings include the following shared instrumentation to support contemporary biology research:
- ABI Prism 7000 Sequence Detection System for RT-PCR
- BD Biosciences FACSCalibrum flow cytometer
- Nikon Eclipse E1000 confocal microscope
- Kodak 440CF Digital Image Station
- Beckman-Coulter Optima XL-100K ultracentrifuge
- Beckman Avanti J-25 high speed centrifuge
- Beckman DU 640 UV/Vis spectrophotometer
- Electrophysiology rig (cage, amplifier, digitizer, Zeiss Axiovert 200 inverted microscope)
- CO2 incubators
- Plate incubators
Biology teaching labs are fully equipped to support student learning
Supporting Teaching
In addition to our dedicated research labs, the department maintains five large teaching labs, each designed as an active and contemporary learning environment for students. Teaching labs contain 6-8 group learning stations, with moveable tables that serve as versatile work surfaces, each equipped with a Dell workstation to coordinate data acquisition and analysis, imaging, report writing, and literature research activities.
Departmental holdings include fleets of basic equipment such as table top centrifuges, compound and dissecting microscopes, electrophoresis rigs, pH meters, pipettors, water baths, incubators, etc., which may be conveniently set up in teaching labs as needed. We display a rotating collection of both living and prepared specimens throughout the year. Standard projection equipment is mounted in each lab for mini-lectures and student presentations.
Biology Professor Rosalind Bass lectures about cell biology
Students extend their biology education outdoors through field experiences designed to explore the campus environment and other local areas. We maintain an ongoing relationship with the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, a 2000 acre park that provides easy access to forest and wetland ecosystems, as well as unique opportunities to examine several rare plant species that grow among granite outcroppings specific to the geologic Piedmont region of Georgia.
We are well stocked with basic field gear and equipment for student use including waders, nets, collection equipment, cameras, and various chemical monitoring kits.
Classrooms in the Science Center are equipped with standard projection technology and are designed to support a variety of learning environments from small collaborative student groups, to large lecture-style classrooms. Dedicated computer labs are available for courses that require regular computer use. The Biology department maintains portable projectors and laptop carts so that other spaces may be temporarily converted for teaching purposes.
