School of Biological and Environmental Sciences facilities

The James Parsons and Life Sciences buildings have received over £10M in investment since 2015. The biosciences and environmental studies laboratories are equipped with advanced, up-to-date equipment. This supports the work of our four research groups and helps students gain practical, hands-on experience.

The facilities are managed by Senior Research Officers and Technicians, ensuring everything runs safely and efficiently. In line with the University’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency, the buildings use electricity from renewable sources.

You can take a virtual tour of our facilities to explore the James Parsons Building and Life Sciences Building.

LJMU has multiple archaeological and anthropological labs and a huge collection of skeletal remains. This isn’t available in many universities. 

Raffaella Minella
MSc Forensic Anthropology

Twelve completely renovated bioscience laboratories

Twelve laboratories over three floors, dedicated to the disciplines of biochemistry, genomics, microbiology, microscopy and molecular biology. These host several High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) instruments, Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (Q-ToF) Mass Spectrometers, and two Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) complete with X-ray back-scattering detector systems.

We have self-contained separate DNA isolation rooms for both ancient and environmental DNA, multiple thermocyclers, RT-qPCR, Tapestation, Genome Analyzer, Illumina and Nanopore sequencing workstations. We also have ample -80°C biobanking facilities and portable freezing and liquid nitrogen preservation units for field sampling.

  • Name of room/lab

  • Name of room/lab

  • Name of room/lab

  • Biological and Environmental Sciences lab

Greenhouse

Our greenhouse facility provides a location for a range of leading UK government and Industry funded research. It is closely linked with our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

The facility uses advanced sensor technology that monitors temperature, humidity, and light levels. It also helps maintain stable conditions for experiments. Research here includes developing and improving biostimulant products for UK industries. It also focuses on improving crop resilience to drought and heat stress.

Other work explores the bioremediation of war-damaged soils which helps restore damaged environments and improve soil health. Undergraduate and postgraduate students are actively involved in this research. They take part in data collection and gain practical, transferable skills.

The greenhouse works alongside our plant physiology and genomics facilities. Together, they provide a strong and integrated research environment.

  • LJMU research greenhouse

  • LJMU research greenhouse

  • LJMU research greenhouse

  • LJMU research greenhouse

  • LJMU research greenhouse at night

Drones for conservation research

LJMU’s drone lab supports our wildlife and landscape conservation teaching and research. The drone lab has six flight simulators and a versatile fleet of drones equipped with RGB, multispectral, and thermal infrared cameras. They range from compact DJI Mini 2 systems to the Matrice 4TD. 

For testing, training, and applied research, staff and students can use a closed, netted area on campus. There is also a private flying field beside one of the city’s largest parks. Together, these spaces support safe skills development and realistic field-based practice. The LJMU drone lab supports conservation in over a dozen of countries around the world.

  • Drone flying outside James Parsons Building

  • Drone lab

  • Drone lab

  • Drone view over ____

  • Drone view of flamingos

  • Students learning to use drone

  • Students learning to use drone

  • Drone view over ____

  • Drone view of deer

  • Students learning to use drone

Environmental and climate labs

Our environmental research is supported by a range of wet and dry laboratories. This includes positive pressure labs for geochemical and pollution analysis of water, soils and sediments.

Our facilities are equipped with ICP-OES, ICP-MS, GC, GCMS, LCMS, ion chromatographs and spectrometers. These tools allow precise chemical analysis across a wide range of environmental samples. We also use specialist equipment for sediment and material analysis. This includes laser particle sizers, elemental analysers, furnaces, and EDXRF systems.

Field and monitoring equipment supports data collection in real environments. This includes atmospheric gas sampling tools, ground-penetrating radar, automatic water samplers, and soil micromorphology equipment.

For marine and freshwater research, we use corers, grabs, and water samplers. We also operate semi-autonomous boats fitted with bathymetric sensors and environmental probes. Additional facilities include tanks for aquatic studies, greenhouses, and CONVIRON Genesis plant growth chambers.

Alongside this, we have a dedicated GIS suite with 79 workstations. We also host a flood resilience hub and a specialist drone laboratory.

Anthropological labs

Anthropological research is supported by X-ray instrumentation. This includes a specialist accredited laboratory for human and animal remains.

We also have advanced microscopy suites, including transmitted, reflected, polarising, and UV fluorescence systems. These allow detailed examination of materials at high resolution.

An advanced imaging suite supports further analysis. This includes µ-FTIR for identifying organic materials and SEM for high-resolution imaging of surfaces and structures.

Explore the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences