The School of Biological Sciences also features several well-equipped shared research facilities; including a confocal and live-cell microscopic imaging center, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) flow cytometry, spectrophotometric/fluorometric nucleic acid quantification, quantitative real-time PCR, fluorescence/luminescence-capable multi-well plate readers, vertebrate and aquatic animal housing, greenhouses, and access to nature preserve study areas and ISU farmland/facilities. We highly value research and teaching, and offer a collegial environment fostering research collaborations within the School, as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations within the College of Arts and Sciences and across the University - a research culture that is reflected in our strong history of successfully obtaining NIH R15 and R16 research capacity-building grants, which emphasize hands-on research mentoring for students.