Renovation of the Integrative Biology Research Facility at Indiana University South Bend

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Funds are provided to fund the Integrative Biology Research Facility (IBRF) at Indiana University South Bend (IUSB). These renovations will greatly advance the potential for research and research training in biology at the University. The current IUSB research facility cannot support the increasing need for undergraduate research training that is being driven by student demand, campus initiatives to broaden research opportunities, and state and regional initiatives to increase job opportunities in biotechnology and the life sciences. The small labs cannot accommodate more than 2-3 researchers at a time and are inadequate for modern research programs that require multiple techniques and types of equipment. Therefore, research spaces that are shared by all biology faculty and are currently of limited or no use in research will be renovated. The IBRF would provide (i) a greenhouse with dedicated research space, (ii) three rooms dedicated for equipment used in molecular biology, microscopy, and microbial culture, and (iii) field studies lab that can accommodate research teams of up to 10 people. The renovated IBRF will allow immediate expansion of one-on-one biology research training, but more importantly will drive curricular changes that will integrate research training into our upper-level course offerings and broaden participation in research activities.