Labs, Equipment, and Facilities

Revised 9/17/24

The Marine Biological Laboratory provides laboratories to those investigators who wish to take advantage of the MBL’s facilities, services, and exceptional collaborative research environment and rent space in the MBL Whitman Center. Laboratory space can be rented by independent scientists (see rates below) or arrangements can be made to be hosted by a resident research center or affiliated with one of MBL’s preeminent discovery courses.

Any investigators coming to the MBL must apply each year. The application deadline for rentals during May through September is December 15 of the preceding year.

For those who wish to participate in research associated with a course, arrangements must be made in advance and approved by the course directors and the Director of the Division of Research.  For those collaborating with MBL’s resident faculty, stays need to be arranged and approved by the host lab and the center director.

During the months of May through August, laboratories are rented at the rate of $96.00 per square foot for a 4-month period even if your stay will be shorter. Most of the laboratories available for rent fall into one of the following categories:

• Class 1, ~228 square feet (typically 2 to 4 people), $21,888 for four months
• Class 2, ~314 square feet (typically 3 to 6 people), $30,144 for four months
• Class 3, ~291 square feet (typically 3 to 5 people), $27,936 for four months

From September through April, laboratories may be rented by the month at the rate of $12.00 per square foot per month. For those needing only a very small area, the minimum space to rent, if available, is 150 square feet.

Office space is available to rent at a set price of $1,402 for May through August. Off-season office space is also available to rent at a set price of $1,402 for September through April.

The office of the Director of the Division of Research will attempt to find laboratory space, sharing arrangements if necessary, and adjacencies that meet the needs of each applicant but cannot guarantee room assignments or sharing arrangements.  MBL offers competitive research awards that help to support independent investigators. These awards include lab rental for four months during the peak season and housing for up to ten weeks. For details, see Whitman Center Fellowship Awards.

Independent laboratory space is also available to qualified researchers who wish to spend sabbatical leaves at the MBL. Well-maintained general use facilities and a large inventory of rental equipment are available to help meet applicants’ needs. Sabbatical-year investigators can also be hosted within the laboratory and office space of a resident research center.

For more information email research@mbl.edu.

Shipping & Receiving
To receive packages/mail at the MBL before you arrive, address them to yourself at Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, USA 02543-1015. See the shipping and receiving page for more details. If you stored items at the MBL over the winter, please contact boxes@mbl.edu at least 3 business days before you want them delivered to your lab.

Equipment
The Laboratory Operations Department provides a wide variety of scientific equipment including microscopes and accessories, oscilloscopes, microfuges, power supplies, baths, shakers, incubators, and ovens. The department also has electronic components available such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, ICs, and connectors. Any unusual components not in stock can be ordered for quick delivery.

Qualified technicians can provide technical assistance in troubleshooting or repair of electronics, personal computers, and scientific equipment.

The Laboratory Operations Department also handles the ordering and delivery of all compressed gas cylinders, cryogenic gases and dry ice on campus. Please contact us to place all cylinder and dry ice orders. Click here to view the Equipment List.

For further information contact the Laboratory Operations Department, located in Lillie 8C, at:
(508) 289-7444 or Email Bill Haskins.

Stockroom
Located in Lillie 2, the stockroom is a self-serve facility, providing a limited selection of laboratory supplies and chemicals. To gain access and for a list of available items, see the stockroom page. or contact stockroom@mbl.edu or 508-289-7239.

Chemicals
Please contact Environmental Health & Safety to ensure that your chemical inventory is up to date and training has been completed by all of your lab members.

Animals
Marine specimens are available through the Marine Resources Center. For use of non-marine animals, contact the Animal Care Facility at 508-289-7288. If you will be using vertebrates, please refer to the MBL Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for information and order forms. Information about zebrafish is available on the Zebrafish Facility page. The National Xenopus Resource is the national stock center for Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis frogs. We provide transgenic, inbred and mutant frogs, embryos, oocytes and eggs as well as tank space rentals. We also have facilities for microinjection of Xenopus embryos for mRNA overexpression or CRISPR-Cas gene editing. For information about Xenopus, please see the National Xenopus Resource page.

General use rooms
Located in Rowe 107, 218, 318 and Lillie 218, MBL’s common use rooms offer a wide variety of shared resources. Please refer to the GUR Guide for further information.

Equipment rentals
If you have rented equipment in advance, please pick it up in the Laboratory Operations Department in Lillie 8C. If you need additional equipment, please contact apparatus@mbl.edu or 508-289-7444 (x7444). The department can also help you with gas cylinders, regulators, and dry ice.

Cold rooms
Standard and half-size refrigerators can be rented from the Apparatus Department (apparatus@mbl.edu). In addition, MBL has a -80°C freezer in Rowe 318 and Lillie 218, two cold rooms set at 4°C in Rowe 315 and Lillie 14. For other temperature options, consider purchasing an individual unit from Thermo Fisher.

Tissue culture rooms
For use of the tissue culture rooms, please contact Louie Kerr for training and access at lkerr@mbl.edu or 508-289-7273.

Central Microscopy Facility
MBL has a large selection of microscopes available for general use. See the Central Microscopy Facility for details.

Machine shop
MBL has an arrangement with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Machine Shop whereby you can purchase services using your MBL account. Contact stockroom@mbl.edu or 508-289-7449 for details.

Stockroom
Located in Lillie 2, the stockroom is a self-serve facility, providing a limited selection of laboratory supplies and chemicals. Click here to gain access to the stockroom and for a list of available items, or contact stockroom@mbl.edu or 508-289-7449.

Chemicals
Please contact Environmental Health & Safety to ensure that your chemical inventory is up to date and training has been completed by all of your lab members.

Animals
Marine specimens are available through the Marine Resources Center. If you will be using vertebrates, please refer to the IACUC page for information and order forms.

MBL Facilities
Central Microscopy Facility
Cephalopod Mariculture
Library/Electronic Journal Collection
Marine Resources Center
National Xenopus Facility
Zebrafish Facility
Keck Genetics Facility
Stable Isotope Laboratory

Notary Publics
If you need any documents notarized, please contact research@mbl.edu for a list of notary publics.

Photocopies
Photocopies or printing is available in the MBLWHOI Library on the second floor of the Lillie Building.