Biologists Show off New Labs

It took a while, but at an open house on May 18, biology professors Rebecca German, Bruce Jayne, and George Uetz, were finally able to show off their new laboratories. The three planned and waited a

long time for the move from Crosley Tower, which was built in the 1960s, to the new labs in 821 Rieveschl.

German explained that her previous facility “was built for work that was clearly very different from mine.” Previous lab space was constrained by built-in features that are difficult and expensive to remove. Moreover, recent changes in requirements for laboratory research facilities necessitated the renovation.

Uetz echoed her point. His work with wolf spiders requires reduced vibration levels and a sound and radio isolation room to be able to record the barely audible signals produced in spider communication. Without optimal conditions, researchers are inhibited in reaching their ultimate goal.

Relying on the expertise of UC architects, German, Jayne, and Uetz set out to produce state-of-the-art labs that are the envy of any researcher. Designers were able to create spaces and separate various research activities into different rooms. The design and construction phases took more than a year, but Uetz noted that the UC designers “bent over backward to help” him. German said the most difficult stage was the move from Crosley to Rieveschl: “It was ugly, ugly, ugly. However, it was an opportunity for growth. I threw out huge amounts of junk.”

But the results were well worth the wait. Faculty, students, staff and alumni had an opportunity to tour the area during what German described as the “en masse” open house. Probably the best insight into the discrepancy between the old and new environments came from former student Scott Stewart (BA 1996, MS 1999), who remarked, “ I wish I could have had this set up when I was working in the lab.”