Research Facilities

GW’s facilities and labs foster a wide range of biological research. At the Science and Engineering Hall, Wilbur V. Harlan Greenhouse and Bell Hall, scholars work with students to forge new pathways of discovery.

Science and Engineering Hall

Science and Engineering Hall building

The Science and Engineering Hall (SEH) on the Foggy Bottom Campus houses state-of-the-art laboratories, lecture halls and core research facilities. With 500,000 square feet of teaching and research space and an open layout, the facility is designed to encourage innovative, interdisciplinary cooperation across the sciences.

Designated biology classrooms in SEH include a molecular biology classroom and an ecology classroom on the eighth floor, which connects to the Wilbur V. Harlan Greenhouse.

Happening at SEH

Fighting the Frog Virus

Assistant Professor Leon Grayfer received a $770,000 CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his research into a virus that is killing amphibians around the world. The CAREER awards support promising early career scientists and are among the most competitive grants provided by the NSF.

Wilbur V. Harlan Greenhouse

Located on the top floor of Science and Engineering Hall, the 1,225-square-foot greenhouse opened in 2017. The rooftop facility is home to plants that support research on insects, climate change, genetic diversity and other active projects. Visitors can take a walk through time at the green facility to understand how plants have evolved over millions of years, and students are invited to study on the terrace, visit during open hours or apply for positions caring for the plants.

Visit the Greenhouse
Science and Engineering Hall, Room 8546
800 22nd St NW
Washington, D.C. 20052
[email protected]
Visits by appointment only.
Contact the greenhouse manager with questions.

Volunteer at the Greenhouse
If you are interested in volunteering in the Harlan Greenhouse please contact the greenhouse manager. Applications are due two weeks after the start of the semester you're interested in volunteering for. (ex. Fall Semester application deadline - September 14) If you miss the application deadline, your application will be considered for the following semester.

**Greenhouse Open Hours and the Greenhouse Volunteer Program have been suspended for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Semesters due to COVID-19. If you are interested in conducting research in the Greenhouse please fill out the form below.

Request Greenhouse Space

Prior to requesting research space in the Harlan Greenhouse, please read the Harlan Greenhouse Rules and Regulations (PDF).

Greenhouse by the Numbers

100 plant species

1125 Square feet of indoor and outdoor space

400 million years of plant evolution on display

Happening in the Harlan Greenhouse

Researcher Uses Gene Editing to Unveil Butterfly Biodiversity

Arnaud Martin, assistant professor of biology, seeks to understand the evolutionary genetics that have shaped color pattern diversity on butterfly wings.

Bell Hall

Bell Hall houses molecular biology laboratories, a microscopy room with a Leo scanning electron microscope (SEM), a common instrumentation room, a computer room with scanners and microcomputers, fossil preparation rooms and a rooftop greenhouse. Bell Hall is also home to teaching facilities and vehicles that are made available for faculty and student fieldwork.

Visit Bell Hall
2029 G St. NW
Room 302
Washington, D.C. 20052

Other Facilities

The GW Institute for Biomedical Studies includes a microchemistry core facility with an oligonucleotide synthesizer, an electron microscope (EM) and a confocal microscopy suite.
Gelman Library and Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library house 1.38 million volumes and are part of the Washington Research Libraries Consortium, facilitating loans among area university libraries.
On GW’s Virginia Science and Technology Campus, the Computational Biology Institute brings together leading educators, researchers, engineers and clinicians to find scientific solutions to global health and environmental problems.