Instrumentation to support molecular biology research include high speed and ultra centrifuges, scintillation counters, spectrophotometers, fluorometers and PCR thermal cyclers. The Department also maintains an herbarium and both vertebrate and invertebrate collections. The USM Museum of Ichthyology contains 20,000 species lots and 284,000 specimens, and is one of the more rapidly growing fish collections in the country. The Biological Sciences Wetlab is a centrally placed, recently completed facility that includes space for both teaching and research. The 310 m 2 wetlab includes five separate rooms, each with independent temperature and light regulation, and one dry lab for electronic equipment and microscopes.
All environmental chambers have programmable light and temperature regimes.
Four of the wetlabs are equipped with automatic water quality monitoring and recording equipment. One room is also set up with a modular steam system that is adaptable to various experimental designs. Water to the wetlab is supplied by a large reverse osmosis system. The Department of Biological Sciences operates a 100-acre field facility, located 3 miles west of the main campus, for research and instructional use. A spacious wet lab and large flight aviary, and a field for growing crops for research are available on the site.