Research Facilities

The lab is a world-class facility dedicated to poultry disease research and diagnostics. The lab is a biosafety level BSL-3, USDA-licensed laboratory, used to study highly virulent poultry pathogens in a safe working environment.

Carvel is an integral part of the UD Agricultural Experiment Station. This 344-acre campus serves as home for Sussex County Cooperative Extension, the Thurman Adams Agricultural Research Farm and Lasher Laboratory for poultry diagnostics.  

Research conducted in the laboratory explores a wide variety of economic and consumer behavior and participants receive monetary compensation based on the decisions they make in a variety of different settings.

A magnet for life science research and development, the institute supports multidisciplinary, collaborative academic research partnering with many local organizations.

This tract of 35 acres is an active research site for students to study the effects of habitat fragmentation on wildlife and ecosystem services provided by small, urban forests. The site is home to the longest continuous study on the population health of Wood Thrush.

The complex consists of a suite of growth chambers and glass house facilities. In addition to diverse faculty research and plant production, students can learn horticulture, as well as professional plant production within the greenhouse environment.

The Rice Investigation, Communication, and Education (RICE) Facility is an NSF and USDA-funded network of 30 rice paddy plots, each measuring 2x2 m. Equipped with solar-powered sensors, the facility supports research on biogeochemical cycling, focusing on how soil amendments and water management affect metal uptake in rice and greenhouse gas emissions.

This area provides facilities for characterization of new diseases, vaccine development, the testing of "pre" and "pro" biotics and nutraceuticals to reduce the use of antibiotics, to improve gut health, improve production and sustainability.

The farm provides hands-on learning and research opportunities for students, allowing them real-world experience on a working dairy farm. Our ~100 cows produce 680 gallons of milk per day!

Students learn hands-on with the college’s registered Angus cattle herd, Dorset sheep flock, horse herd, lambing barn, livestock arena and the equine facility.

Used for research and teaching related to water quality, soils and horticulture, several thriving wetlands create an ecosystem that reduces runoff, improves water quality, increases plant diversity, and supports wildlife. 

UD’s research core facilities—high-tech instruments that are shared resources, supporting studies across campus—are available to UD faculty and their collaborators.