Modern equipment and plant growth chambers are available for anatomical, physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies in the labs of Drs. Meinke, Schönknecht, Yang, Doust, Henley, and Scheets. Model plants being studied include Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, and Medicago truncatula. Botany faculty, students and staff utilize the OSU Electron/Confocal Microscope and Recombinant DNA/Protein Resource Facilities, and actively participate in the OSU Plant Biotechnology Network (BioNet). Research collaborations in molecular plant biology exist across campus and with the S.R. Noble Foundation.
Excellent facilities are available for graduate research in the areas of ecology/environmental science and taxonomy/systematics with Drs. Palmer, Steets, Tyrl, Henley, and McAlister. The OSU Herbarium houses approximately 140,000 plant specimens plus collections of seeds/fruits and cryptogams, a library of botanical books, and a complete set of topographical maps of the State of Oklahoma. The 19,000-acre Lake Carl Blackwell wildlife area located 10 miles from the Stillwater campus is available for field studies. This area includes the 160-acre James K. McPherson Botanical Preserve maintained by the department. The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and The Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve offer unique opportunities for ecological study within a two-hour drive.