Biology facilities

Our outstanding facilities span three buildings, including our Life Sciences Building and the surrounding campus grounds, providing access to state-of-the-art technology that equips our students and researchers with the skills and confidence to tackle real-world challenges across the biomedical, biological and ecological sciences.

Students and external partners gain hands-on experience with advanced instrumentation, including our dedicated Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy suite. We offer four fully equipped cell culture suites, with one designed specifically for undergraduate teaching and training.

For ecological and plant-based research, our facilities include 24 mini-greenhouses and a long-term drought exclusion experiment, supporting innovative work in plant physiology and ecosystem ecology. Our Green Flag–awarded campus provides a living laboratory for fieldwork, with extensive grasslands, ponds, and woodland habitats used for ecological study and biodiversity monitoring. We also utilise our wealth of nature reserves on our doorstep, allowing students and researchers alike to explore coastal dune ecosystems, post-industrial landscapes, peatland restorations, as well as unique species of birds, insects and plants found in the region, including red squirrel and great crested newt.

We are proud to be the only university in the UK to host a National Plant Heritage Collection for British ferns, curated by our dedicated Horticultural Society.

Find out more about our facilities

Our laboratories are equipped with a wide range of analytical and molecular instruments to support research and teaching in biology and ecology.

JEOL Imaging Centre

Home to three electron microscopes, our JEOL Imaging Centre provides nanometre-resolution imaging for biological and materials samples. From surface morphology and compositional mapping with EDS, to ultrathin sectioning for TEM, your research will be supported by on-site sample preparation facilities and trained technical staff.

Find out more about our JEOL imaging centre

Growth tents and mini-greenhouses

Our facility includes dedicated mini greenhouses built to test and refine innovative glass coating materials. These controlled environments enable side-by-side comparison of coatings under natural light and real-world growing conditions. By monitoring temperature, humidity, and crop performance, researchers can assess how new coatings improve light transmission, reduce energy loss, and enhance plant productivity throughout the growing season.

Visit the department

Come and see our facilities for yourself by visiting us at our next Open Day.