Biology Department Facilities and Collections

As a Biology student at Gustavus Adolphus, you will learn in spaces and research labs that are equipped with the latest tools, equipment, and technology relevant to the field of biology. These resources are designed to foster collaboration and provide hands-on exploration. The Biology Department maintains a variety of collections, including vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant collections as valuable resources for studying biodiversity, taxonomy, and anatomy. Plus, a campus greenhouse and Arboretum to explore plant physiology and ecology

Vertebrate Collection

The Biology Department has two collections that focus on vertebrates offering the chance to engage in specimen-based learning, comparative studies, and research in the field of vertebrate biology. 

  • Gustavus Freshwater and Marine Fish Collection - This collection is dedicated to preserving and studying freshwater and marine fish species to assist in the study of fish anatomy and biodiversity.
  • Gustavus Bird Collection - This collection comprises preserved bird specimens representing a variety of species. It serves as a valuable resource for studying avian diversity, anatomy, behavior, and ecology. 

Invertebrate Collection

The Biology Department houses an extensive invertebrate collection that provides a valuable resource for studying insects to deepen an understanding of entomology and to conduct research projects related to insects.

  • The Current Entomology Collection - Insect collections are an important resource for studies in taxonomy & natural history. Collections document species diversity, polyphenisms, and phenotypic differences between regions. Gustavus Adolphus College has an extensive insect collection, comprising thousands of insects from at least twelve different orders. Many of these insects are decades old - preserved from the 1950s and 60s.
  • The Gustavus Adolphus College Insect Collection

Plant Collection

The Biology Department has a digitized collection of plant specimens. The Plant Collection Families site is a resource to assist researchers and plant enthusiasts.

Animal Room

This two room facility is located in the basement of Nobel Hall and houses animals used in teaching and research laboratories. Typically mice, rats, and rabbits are used. The department also has a number of aquaria, freshwater and marine. Facilities and equipment are available for individual student research as arranged for with an instructor and/or animal room manager. Because of possible contamination with unknown or unwanted pathogens, wild or other animals are not allowed within the research animal section. The animal facility is registered with and inspected by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture.) Any questions should be directed to Maureen Carlson. View information on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Arboretum 

The Arboretum located on the southwest portion campus was first planted in the spring of 1973. This 125 acres contain trees and plants native to Minnesota including conifers, hardwoods, and prairie as well as an area where introduced species are displayed. Animals in the arboretum include mice, pheasants, jack rabbits, gophers, fox, and deer. Birds of all kinds pass through including hawks and eagles. There are several bluebird houses located throughout the arboretum. The Coneflower Prairie was planted in 2008 with significant input by a Biology Honors student. Several biology classes utilize the arboretum for laboratory and field studies.. 

Cell Culture

The cell culture facility in Room 225 is used for student research and in immunology, cell biology, and cell culture classes. Any questions about cell culture should be directed to Laura Burrack.

Greenhouse 

The greenhouse is housed in Nobel Hall and is used for student and faculty research, general biology, botany, and ecology laboratories. The greenhouse contains a variety of flowering plants, including cactus, other succulents, ferns, and tropical plants. Students are encouraged to explore the greenhouse. Any questions about the greenhouse should be directed to Pamela Kittelson. To learn more about select species found in the greenhouse, explore the links below:

Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanium)
Dwarf Banana Tree (Musa ‘Dwarf Orinoco’)
Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes sanguinea)
Staghorn Fern (Platycerium spp.)

Perry the Corpse Flower

The corpse flower, also known to botanists as Amorphophallus titanum, is a rare flowering plant that is only found naturally in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. With the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, the corpse flower’s name comes from the repulsive scent it emits during the hours after it blooms. The corpse flower at Gustavus Adolphus College is affectionately known as “Perry”. When Perry produced an inflorescence in May of 2007, more than 7,000 people came to see the rare plant, which was the first of its kind to bloom in the state of Minnesota. Learn more about Perry and corpse flowers.

Herbarium

This facility contains many plants from Sweden and Minnesota from as far back as the 1700's. Field botany students use the collection and prepare specimens to enlarge the holdings. The herbarium is located in Room 324A in Nobel Hall. Questions may be answered by Pamela Kittelson. Two of the collections found in the Gustavus Herbarium have been digitized. To explore these collections, use the links below.

  •  John Sandberg Plant Database
    John Sandberg was a Swedish born botanist who collected extensively in the Northern Midwest and Rocky Mountains of North America during the the 1880s. The Minnesota portion of his collection is housed here. Some other places where his collections are housed include: New York University, Harvard University, and the Smithsonian Museum.
  •  Swedish Plant Collection
    This collection contains many specimens collected in Sweden by Swedish and American collectors in the 1880s.

Licensed Radiation Facility

The Biology Department houses a licensed facility in Room 327 for the use of radioactive materials in lab courses and research projects. All students and faculty desiring to use radioactive compounds must take a videotaped radiation safety course. The tapes can be obtained from the institutional radiation safety officer. 

Visualization and Imaging Center

The Center is a three room facility that offers a range of capabilities. One room contains a Zeiss LSM 700 laser scanning confocal microscope, built using an inverted Zeiss Axio Observer stand augmented with a fully motorized stage and a second detector, a high-resolution CCD camera. The Center also has a fluorescence imaging room with a HORIBA Fluoromax-4 fluorescence spectrometer equipped with integrated cuvette stirring, brackets for supplemental filters, programmable temperature control, and rotatable filters for polarized light (i.e. to detect anisotropy). An accompanying computer suite contains six dual-monitor workstations with imaging and molecular modeling software, including two with stereographic viewing capability, plus both stereographic and high-definition image projection systems. These spaces are used for faculty-student collaborative research and for instructional purposes. The Center was equipped in part due to generous support from a Howard Hughes Medical Institute science education grant. Questions about the facility and reservation requests can be directed to Jeff Dahlseid. The reservation calendar for the Center can be accessed by those with a Gustavus network username at Visualization and Imaging Center Calendar.

Note: If you get directed to a Google login page when using the link below, put your full Gustavus e-mail address in the "Email" field and leave the "Password" field blank. When you click "Sign in" you will be directed to the Gustavus login page where you can log in using your Gustavus credentials.