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Student Biology Research

All SLU biology majors have the chance to gain first-hand experience working on exciting projects in diverse areas of life sciences research.

Many of our undergraduates have been co-authors on published scientific papers. Among the many opportunities are:

Faculty Research Labs

Join a research group comprised of undergraduate and graduate students along with SLU professors, working on a variety of laboratory and field oriented projects.

SLU Medical School Labs

A number of research labs at SLU’s School of Medicine actively recruit biology students to assist with basic biomedical research.

Area Universities

Some SLU biology students find opportunities to join research groups at sister institutions.

Saint Louis Zoo

A variety of research opportunities exist at the Saint Louis Zoo, working on projects with zoo veterinary and research staff, and with zoo curators.

Missouri Botanical Garden

SLU biology students can participate in internships and assist in research sponsored by adjunct faculty, curators and other scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden. There are often internships available through the nationally recognized Center for Plant Conservation.

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

The Danforth Center Plant Center provides student opportunities in a number of labs whose collective mission is "to feed the world."

National Science Foundation

Apply to one of several National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates opportunities. Proposal deadlines are in the fall and spring.

For more information on research opportunities for undergraduates in biology, please visit our biology research site

Academic Credit

Students who engage in research projects in the Department of Biology labs or many other St. Louis-area institutions may receive academic credit by enrolling in BIOL 498: Advanced Independent Study for an appropriate number of credit hours.

Research Jobs

In addition to research experience available through project outlined above, opportunities exist for part-time employment in research labs.

Many of the labs listed above have paid positions available from time to time. In addition, SLU biology students have found part-time research employment at Bayer, the Center for Emerging Technologies (CET), the Human Genome Project and area hospitals.