The Department of Biology is housed in a new, state-of-the-art facility, the Eugene P. and Lois E. Trani Center for Life Sciences, located on the science quadrangle of the University’s Academic Campus. Modern classrooms in the Trani Center are equipped with the latest in multimedia instructional technology. Laboratories for general biology, anatomy, molecular biology, bioinformatics, ecology, environmental science, botany, physiology and microbiology also provide the latest instructional technology. A student learning center offers an area where students can review material from laboratory exercises and receive one-on-one assistance from biology graduate students. And, the student study lounge is equipped with network connections, and is a great place to work on assignments between classes or to meet with other students to work on class projects.

Modern research laboratories and high-end technology in the Trani Center support faculty and student research ranging from molecular biology to ecosystem dynamics. Two vibrant university centers, the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity and the Center for Environmental Studies are housed in the Trani Center and are closely allied with the department’s research and instructional activities. Also supporting research are the Trani Center greenhouse, an aquatics facility with numerous freshwater and marine tanks and an animal facility maintained and supervised by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A satellite lab of the Nucleic Acids Core Facility provides a broad range of support for molecular biology. The Bioinformatics Computational Core Laboratory supports a Beowolf supercomputing cluster, a distance-learning and videoconferencing classroom, and a research laboratory with access to state-of-the-art genomics and proteomics software and databases for both research and instructional applications. The Environmental Technologies Laboratory provides students and faculty access to the latest hardware and software for environmental remote sensing, geographic information systems, and other ecoinformatics applications. The Mass Spectrometry Center, located adjacent to the Trani Center, provides additional support for proteomics and biotechnology research.

VCU’s Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, located 30 minutes from campus, comprises 342 acres of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems along the James River. The focal point of the mission of the Rice Center is support for research associated with the environmental and ecological sciences. It provides an outstanding resource for field-based research by both faculty and graduate students in the department.

The Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, home to many biotechnology, bioscience, and related companies and research institutions, is a technology center dedicated to fostering development of Virginia’s bioscience industry. Faculty and students enjoy the benefits of this life science research incubator, particularly as it allows them to connect their research to private and government concerns.