The biology curriculum is served by well-equipped general laboratories in addition to specialized state-of-the-art biology laboratories, including dedicated labs for teaching and research in cell and molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics. Modern laboratory instrumentation is available in the areas of microbiology, immunology, animal physiology,  developmental biology, and geographic information system (GIS). The department utilizes the newly completed John D. Gerhart Field Station in El Gouna on the Red Sea for research and coursework in marine biology. The department also hosts and coordinates the Yousef Jameel Science and Technology Research Center’s biotechnology laboratory. This state-of-the-art research facility, together with the diverse research interests of the faculty in the biology department, provides students with a solid biological science education and skills that are needed to successfully enter professional careers.

Departmental Library

In addition to the main university library, approximately 3,000 books are maintained in the Professor Samir Ghabbour Library and Computer Laboratory within the biology department. This facility houses more than 200 biology-related journals, bulletins, news letters and reports. A few of the journals are complete sets, while others span periods of up to 40 years. The department also maintains more than 30,000 catalogued reprints of scientific articles and is in the process of adding 10,000 more. The library has a card catalogue with more than 27,700 abstracts of publications on viruses. There is a collection of more than 150 videotapes and DVDs related to biology. We also have computer access to online journals. The books, journals, reprints, abstracts and videotapes are available for use by the biology students in class or they may be signed-out.

Computer Lab

The computer lab has 25 computers connected to three central servers with internet connections. Twelve of these are available for biology students, one dedicated to the GIS system, one to the Chemidoc system, and the remaining 11 (plus two laptops) are for staff and faculty. Printers and scanners are also available.

Biology Labs

The biology department has four well-equipped wet laboratories:

A basic biology lab with bench-space for 20 students. This lab is equipped with dissecting and compound microscopes, incubators, freezers, and refrigerators and smaller equipment necessary for the introductory courses.

A “clean lab” for molecular biology, genetics, immunology and microbiology courses. This lab holds 10 students and is equipped with a microbiological safety cabinet, supra speed centrifuge, mini-gel systems for proteins and DNA, DNA electrophoresis gel systems, a PCR thermal cycler, a chemiluminescent image station, hybridization oven, fluorometer, fraction collector, refrigerators, -20 and -80 degree freezers, autoclave, and dishwashers.

A “dirty lab” for ecology and environmental biology courses, including systematics, botany and comparative anatomy labs. This lab holds 15 students. In addition to compound and dissecting microscopes, this lab is equipped with an inverted fluorescence research microscope with computerized imaging and a dye-sublimation printer.

A research lab which also doubles for overflow from other labs. This lab is equipped with a top of the line Geographic Information system (GIS) with hardware support, including a server system and 10 computers, as well as a large format scanner that can take images 1.00 m wide by 3 m long and a large format printer that can output the finished project in color. Attached to the system is a digitizer that facilitates creating different layers form any sized map. The department has more than 200,000 preserved biological specimens, mostly arthropods of medical importance, mollusks and plants, for student use in the labs.

Greenhouse

A 42 square meter greenhouse on the roof of the science building is available for use as part of general biology, botany, ecology and other courses. Also being installed on the roof is a weather station that will monitor wind speed and direction, temperature, rain fall and barometric pressure. The system is connected to a computer for data logging and display of current conditions, and is used as part of the ecology program, providing multi-layered data for student evaluation.