Department Of Zoology

What Department Of Zoology does

The Department of Integrative Biology (IBIO), formerly the Department of Zoology, is a public academic department within Michigan State University's College of Natural Science, established in its current form in 2015. It delivers undergraduate degree programs (B.S. and B.A. in Zoology, B.S. in Environmental Biology-Zoology, B.S. in Integrative Biology, and a dual B.S./M.S. option), graduate programs (M.S. and Ph.D. in Integrative Biology with research areas spanning ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, and molecular biology), and operates the MSU Light Stable Isotope Core Facility as a fee-for-service analytical platform. Its primary constituents are MSU undergraduate and graduate students, alongside faculty and external researchers requiring specialized isotope measurements.

The department's distinctive technical capability is concentrated in the Light Stable Isotope Core Facility, which uses isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) coupled with elemental analyzers, gas chromatography, dual inlet, and laser ablation sample introduction to measure light-element isotopes (H, C, O, N) in solid tissues, soils, and gas samples (N2, CO2, N2O). Equipment includes Vario Isotope Cube EA, Isoprime 100 and Isoprime Vision IRMS units, Trace Gas and Dual Inlet systems, and a Shimadzu Greenhouse Gas Analyzer, operated by staff with over 50 years of combined experience in isotope analysis and data interpretation.

The department is funded primarily through MSU's institutional channels — student tuition, state appropriations, and external research grants (NSF, NIH, private donors). Supplemental revenue is generated through the Stable Isotope Core Facility's usage-based fee schedule (rates effective April 2023), with pricing varying by analysis type. Distribution occurs through on-campus degree delivery in East Lansing, Michigan, plus a global mail-in sample channel for isotope analysis. Ecosystem ties include a strategic AZA partnership supporting the Zoo & Aquarium Science concentration, the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station for field study, and named internship pipelines at the Detroit Zoo and Potter Park Zoo.

Name

Department Of Zoology

Legal name

Michigan State University Department of Integrative Biology

Website

https://zoology.msu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Department of Integrative Biology (formerly Department of Zoology) at Michigan State University is a public academic department delivering undergraduate and graduate biology degrees and operating the Light Stable Isotope Core Facility, a fee-for-service analytical platform serving MSU researchers and external clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education — Biological Sciences Academic Department

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Biological sciences education
• Zoology degree programs
• Stable isotope analysis
• Mass spectrometry services
• Integrative biology research

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and State Funding: As part of Michigan State University's College of Natural Science, the department receives funding through student tuition and state appropriations for public university operations.
2. Stable Isotope Core Facility Services: The facility provides analytical measurement services for MSU researchers and external clients on a fee-for-service basis. Pricing varies by analysis type with billing codes and rates effective April 2023.
3. Research Grants and Donations: Faculty research is funded through external grants from agencies including NSF, NIH, and private donors. The department also receives donations through its giving program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The department is a public university academic unit that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in zoology, environmental biology, and integrative biology, supported by hands-on experiential learning, internships, and field study opportunities. It also operates the MSU Light Stable Isotope Core Facility, offering fee-for-service stable isotope analysis (carbon, nitrogen, N2, CO2, N2O, and dissolved inorganic carbon) to internal and external researchers using IRMS and complementary instrumentation.

Product overview

The Department of Integrative Biology (formerly the Department of Zoology) at Michigan State University offers a comprehensive educational portfolio centered around undergraduate and graduate degree programs in biological sciences. The department provides four undergraduate degree paths: Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology-Zoology, Bachelor of Science in Integrative Biology, and Bachelor of Arts in Zoology. The flagship research facility is the Stable Isotope Core Facility, which provides analytical isotope analysis services to researchers across disciplines. The department also supports field study through the Richard and Susan Hill Fund endowment and fosters student engagement through organized clubs and experiential learning opportunities including internships, undergraduate research, education abroad, and field courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MSU Light Stable Isotope Core Facility: A research facility providing stable isotope analysis instrumentation and expertise to assist experimental design, analytical measurements, and data interpretation for the MSU research community.

Products and services

• Bachelor of Science in Zoology A Bachelor of Science degree focused on the integrative study of animal biology, covering all levels of biological organization from gene to ecosystem, including structure, physiology, behavior, genetics, development, distribution, and evolution. Includes transcriptable concentrations in Animal Behavior & Neurobiology, Ecology Evolution & Organismal Biology, Marine Biology, and Zoo & Aquarium Science.
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology-Zoology A degree program combining basic science courses in environmental biology concepts with applied courses addressing natural environment problems, emphasizing ecology, systematics, and environmental science with an animal biology focus.
• Bachelor of Science in Integrative Biology A curriculum combining fundamental knowledge in all major biology sub-disciplines including biochemistry, cellular biology, morphology, physiology, microbiology, ecology, and evolution, supplemented with laboratory experiences and experiential learning opportunities.
• Bachelor of Arts in Zoology A degree designed for students pursuing careers in scientific application areas such as public policy, technical sales, law, and communications, combining zoology study with significant coursework outside the sciences.
• Dual Degree B.S./M.S. Program An option for College of Natural Science students to pursue both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree, requiring minimum 60 undergraduate credits and 3.0 GPA for admission.
• Graduate Program (M.S. and Ph.D.) Graduate degrees including Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology, with research focus areas spanning ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, and molecular biology.
• Stable Isotope Core Facility Services A shared research facility providing stable isotope analysis services including carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of solid and soil samples, isotopic analysis of N2, CO2, N2O gases, dissolved inorganic carbon analysis, and nitrous oxide concentration analysis for researchers across disciplines.
• Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Analysis Stable isotope and elemental analysis of solid tissue and soil samples using Vario Isotope Cube EA coupled to Isoprime Vision IRMS, requiring minimum 50 μg of nitrogen and carbon per sample.
• Nitrogen Gas Isotopic Analysis Isotopic analysis of nitrogen (N2) gas samples using HP 5890 Gas Chromatograph coupled to Isoprime 100 IRMS for natural abundance and enriched isotope data calibration.
• Carbon Dioxide Isotopic Analysis Isotopic analysis of CO2 gas samples using Trace Gas Inlet coupled to Isoprime 100 IRMS, requiring minimum 2 nmole CO2 for reliable measurements.
• Nitrous Oxide Isotopic Analysis Isotopic analysis of nitrous oxide (N2O) gas including site preference analysis using Trace Gas Inlet coupled to Isoprime 100 IRMS, requiring minimum 2-6 nmole N2O depending on analysis type.
• Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Analysis Isotopic analysis of dissolved inorganic carbon in water samples using Trace Gas Inlet coupled to Isoprime IRMS, with samples reacted with phosphoric acid and equilibrated overnight before analysis.
• Nitrous Oxide Concentration Analysis N2O concentration analysis of gas samples using Shimadzu Greenhouse Gas Analyzer, requiring minimum 3 mL injection and samples between 0.1 to 10 ppm N2O concentration.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AZA-accredited zoos and aquaria cooperate with the department's Zoo & Aquarium Science curriculum. Executive staff from AZA institutions lecture to students on topics such as zoo animal nutrition, principles of animal husbandry, zoo ethics, and behavioral welfare. The partnership provides internship placements for students.
• W.K. Kellogg Biological StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSU field station where students can participate in field courses and research opportunities. Part of the department's hands-on experiential learning offerings.
• Detroit ZoominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides internship opportunities for students in the Zoo & Aquarium Science concentration, including amphibian department internships and community relations internships.
• Potter Park ZoominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides animal care internships for students in the Zoo & Aquarium Science concentration located in Lansing, MI.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Florida Department of Biology: Large public-R1 biology department offering BS/BA/MS/PhD tracks in zoology-adjacent subfields with research depth across ecology, evolution, and organismal biology, serving as a comparable scale peer.
• Iso-Analytical: Commercial UK-based laboratory offering light stable isotope analysis (C, N, O, H) using IRMS for food, environmental, and forensic applications — directly comparable commercial counterpart to the Stable Isotope Core Facility.
• UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility: University-based fee-for-service stable isotope analysis facility that accepts external samples by mail and operates similar IRMS and EA instrumentation — directly comparable service-side peer to the MSU Light Stable Isotope Core Facility.
• UC Berkeley Department of Integrative Biology: Shares the exact 'Department of Integrative Biology' name and framing, with overlapping research across ecology, evolution, and organismal biology, plus field study and graduate programs — directly comparable in mission and structure to the subject.
• University of Michigan Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Big Ten peer offering BS, BA, MS, and PhD programs in ecology, evolution, and biodiversity with parallel research and graduate training missions, recruiting from overlapping applicant pools.
• W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (Michigan State University): MSU field station partnered with the Department of Integrative Biology for field courses and research, also running its own research and graduate training programs — directly comparable in mission and tightly operationally linked to the department.
• Geochron Laboratories: Commercial stable isotope and radiocarbon analysis laboratory serving academic and industry clients on a fee-for-service basis — directly comparable to the Stable Isotope Core Facility in commercial isotope services.
• Oregon State University Department of Integrative Biology: Another land-grant 'Integrative Biology' department with comparable undergraduate concentrations, graduate programs, and field study orientation, directly comparable in academic mission.
• Cornell University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: A large R1 land-grant department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in ecology, evolution, and organismal biology with comparable research and teaching depth, serving similar applicant pools.

Broad incumbents

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Larger private research institution with overlapping oceanography, marine biology, and isotope geochemistry research mission, serving as a broader-incumbent peer in marine and environmental biology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MSUherpclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/5063557421
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-zoology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department Of Zoology