The image is split in half by the waterline of a lake. Above the water line, two students peer over the side of an alumninum canoe, notepads in hand. Below the waterline is dense vegetation.

Research

In the field and in the lab

From molecules and cells, to plants, animals and fungi, to the processes shaping entire ecosystems, faculty and students across the Department of Biology engage in research with real-world implications.

Two tall containers in the foreground contain wet specimen of marine invertebrates suspended in a yellow liquid. Two students in the background are out of focus but peering around at the specimens in front of them.

Get involved

All students in the Department of Biology have opportunities to engage with research through hands-on coursework, independent research projects and more.

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Collections

The Botany Garden and Greenhouse, Wisconsin State Herbarium, and UW Zoological Museum store both living and preserved collections of flora, fungi and fauna that support research on campus and beyond.

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A student looks through a microscope at a dried, preserved pitcher plant specimen while two people sitting further down the table discuss other specimen.
A microscopic image of a collection of connected cells where the outside edges of the cells are a bright green and the inside are bright pink and purple.

Newcomb Imaging Center

The Newcomb Imaging Center (NIC) houses powerful, modern microscopy instrumentation that supports research and education in the Department of Biology and across campus.

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