ARS offers valuable animal diversity and serves as a model of excellent health care given to all animals at the facility. Peter J. Shields Library , the main campus library, is a predominately open-stack library that contains more than 2.5 million volumes and receives more than 40,000 periodicals, serials, and government publications annually. The use of most library materials has been made easier by a computerized control system. Graduate students primarily learn current techniques for research in the laboratories of their major professors. Some of these are in, or make use of, specialized research facilities.
Brief descriptions follow.
The Health Sciences Research Laboratories are composed of several high technology biological science facilities with research staff and assistance for graduate students. The Hormone Assay Laboratory Provides trace labeling of peptide hormones and generates antibodies for radioimmunoassays. The Histology Laboratory Provides services for histological analysis and includes an auto-technician ultra II and microtomes of various kinds, including cryostats for frozen sections. The Biochemistry and Special Instrumentation Laboratory Includes ultracentrifuges, beta and gamma spetcrometers, and spectrophotometers. Joint Hybridoma Laboratory Provides instruction and facilities for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies.