The building is accessible to the general public 7am-5pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). Additionally, public access is granted to the 1st and 2nd floors 5pm-7pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). From 7pm to 7am, Monday through Friday, weekends and holidays, access is limited to those individuals holding after-hours access privileges.

Research communities will promote interactions and the exchange of ideas among scientists with different perspectives by comingling faculty from the three departments within the building. To further encourage such interaction, each research floor has been divided into five neighborhoods, each with extensive support facilities. The research suites with adjoining instrumentation rooms and student offices are designed for flexibility to accommodate changing technologies.

Core Research Facilities located in the middle of each research floor will allow researchers to share instrumentation, controlled environment rooms, microscopy, imaging suites and darkrooms.

Biological Safety Laboratory (BSL-3) Research Suites will provide state-of-the-art facilities to study microbial pathogens.

A Food Pathogen Research Facility will allow evaluation of parameters affecting food quality and safety. What is learned here will assist food manufacturers and regulators in making informed decisions about safe food production and regulatory policies.

A Molecular Structure Facility will house instrumentation for elucidating three-dimensional structures of biological molecules using crystallography, x-ray diffraction and computer-aided graphics.

Translational Laboratories will focus on rapid translation of basic research results into commercially valuable products and technology through collaborative research efforts between academic and industrial partners.

Specialized Instructional Laboratories will support intensive laboratory training in general and advanced microbiology, immunology, microbial physiology, mycology, pathogenic microbiology, microbial diversity, microbial genetics, food microbiology, parasitology, host-microbe interactions and molecular biology.

The Molecular Modeling Classroom will allow students to use computer simulation to explore macromolecular structures and to model microbial systems.

The Rennebohm Undergraduate Instructional Laboratories will be self-directed experimental learning laboratories interspersed on the research floors.

The Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Laboratory will provide state-of-the-art equipment for identifying cell surface molecules and for separating and collecting mixed populations of cells. This is critical technology for the fields of immunology and microbial pathogenesis.

The Kikkoman Fermentations Laboratory will focus on the technology of large-scale production of microorganisms and their products — a crucial process for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and foods industries.

Technologically advanced 200, 100, and 40-seat classrooms will offer comprehensive audiovisual capabilities for instruction in microbiology.

The Ebling Symposium Center (room 1220) hosts national and international seminars, conferences, workshops, annual meetings and symposia in the microbial sciences. It is available for use by any organization affiliated with the UW, but the Bacteriology and Medical Microbiology & Immunology departments have priority. It seats 450 people and contains a sophisticated AV system that includes dual multimedia projectors, DVD and VHS players, document camera, presentation recording camera, and sound system with wireless mikes. No classes may be held in this room. Food and drinks, except for water, are also not allowed. If you wish to reserve this space, please contact either Staci Frances in the Department of Bacteriology or Tracy Wiklund in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology.

The Teleconference Center (room 1205A) enables scientists from throughout the world to meet and confer electronically.

A Faculty Meeting and Reading Room on the top floor overlook Lake Mendota. They provide a quiet, comfortable space for faculty to gather and discuss

Conference rooms, meeting rooms and lunchrooms are strategically located throughout the facility.

The Student Services Center will provide offices for academic advising, career counseling and myriad additional student services for B.S. and M.S. majors.

Graduate Programs offices will serve the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, Biotechnology Pre-doctoral Training Program, and the Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Responses Training Program.

Club offices will support professional student organizations for Bacteriology and Medical Microbiology & Immunology majors. Club activities include career forums, tutoring and peer advising.

The Master’s Student Lounge will offer a respite for students working towards their M.S. degrees in Bacteriology or Medical Microbiology & Immunology.

The East Atrium and Café will serve as the social hub of the community as well as providing breakout space for the Symposium Center’s poster sessions and receptions.

The South Atrium will be a “Main Street” for undergraduates coming to and from the instructional laboratories and classrooms.

Outdoor terraces and patios will facilitate fellowship and relaxation.

Relaxed seating areas with mobile marker boards on every floor will encourage informal shoptalk and brainstorming.

The Discovery Center will be the focal point of the first floor. This inviting space will allow visitors of all ages to experience first-hand the fascinating world of microbiology through a variety of self-directed explorations at interactive stations. Visitors can even perform mini-experiments in a small-scale laboratory.

Public Instruction Laboratories will provide places for visiting K-12 students and teachers to conduct hands-on experiments under the direction of experienced instructors.

The Northwest Passage will offer inside views of the building to students going to and from classes on campus. Their curiosity will be piqued as they travel this throughway, a unique architectural element that cuts through the building, providing expansive views of the building’s interior, including the east atrium and the research floors.

Outdoor Sculptures by Andrea Myklelbust and Stanton G. Sears will provide artistic depictions of the kind of work being done in the building. “Microbial Leaf” is a rendering of microorganisms carved in a relief panel made of slate, the traditional material of classroom chalkboards. “Cell Wall” is a sculptural seating installation at the entry of the building. Carved of Indiana limestone, the 60-foot-long seating wall plays with notions of scale, dramatically enlarging a portion of a cellular membrane and illustrating a number of cellular processes along its length.