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Bio&Ag | About Bio&Ag | Weaver Buildings | Lab Area Photos

Laboratory Areas

This page displays photos of the various lab areas in Weaver Laboratories. Weaver Laboratories is the home of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at NC State University.

Part of a well-rounded Bio&Ag engineering education consists of learning how to function in a variety of biological and environmental laboratory atmospheres.

Relative to a student's program or focus of study is that students will learn to use equipment commonly found in biological labs, in addition to working in concentration- specific lab areas. Environmental and agricultural concentration students may use outdoor portable equipment.

Note: Several of the labs at Weaver Labs are professional fee-based labs providing support to government agencies and the campus community.

Lab links:

Air Quality Lab

Dr. Wang with several ambiant air samplers.

The air quality lab is the newest lab to be established at BAE. By the very nature of the research the air quality lab is located both indoors and outdoors.

Dr. Wang with a student in the air quality lab.

Take a photo tour of the
Air Quality Lab
This department is proud to have a
state-of -the-art aerosol research lab and an environmentally controlled filter conditioning room for aerosol studies.

Bioprocess Lab

Photo: Work area has long black counter tops light wood counter with many draws it is a u-shaped section withing the lab area.

This lab has been recently renovated with new equipment and the latest technologies.

Photo: Another view of the refrigeration area of the lab

Take a photo tour of the
Bioprocess Lab

Soil and Water Lab

Students and faculty use the lab to test and
gather research data on soil and water samples. Various levels of a soil core are being tested (above) to collect data on water absorbency.
Take a photo tour of the
Soil and Water Lab

Field equipment like drilling augers are used to collect soil samples. Sampling is helpful to solve problems with land drainage, plant growth, crop rotation and nutrient supplement decisions. By understanding soil properties decisions about land use and suitability can be better determined.

Wet Lab

image students working in Wet Lab 2

Students learn to function in a Wet lab area where biological materials are tested and analyzed. These processes may require water, direct ventilation, or other specialized equipment like sterilizing units.

image: students working ion a senior design project

These students are using a laminator flow hood to take advantage of a sterile environment for their project.

Senior Design Lab

image: Senior design room at BAE

Above is a partial view of the work area in the senior design lab. The brown bags seen on the work bench hold the first assignment of the semester. Each bag contains different objects the students will render as 3-D Pro-Engineering drawings.

image: Classroom area of the senior design facility

Students will be making professional engineering presentations in their second semester of the BAE senior design capstone engineering course. This room is equipped with a ceiling-mounted projector for students to practice presentations.

students at the workbench in Senior Design class.

Students at the workbench in the senior design work area. This lab has it's spaces split between the work area and a classroom / presentation area.

students doing some extra team project work.

Teaming is an aspect of engineering design today. This group of students are working out the details of their team project. By participating in teams students learn their strengths and weaknesses.

Main Lab

image: Faculty and students look at the new MTS machine

The department has several hydraulic load frames located in the main lab. These machines are designed for testing specimens under displacement, load, or strain control. The machines are rated from very low to 10,000 lbs.

image: Two students wok out a lab problem

These two students are collecting experimental data for the Properties of Biological Materials course. 

image:bioprocessing student

A bioprocessing student is performing a plant tissue experiment using the labs flow hood.

image: drying oven

The drying oven above has been carefully loaded with labeled soil samples.

image: Student works in the odor testing area using an electronic-nose

This odor testing electronic nose can notice small changes in odors detecting the true freshness of a food product.

image: student work at autoclave steralizing a solid waste speciment

This student uses an autoclave to sterilize solid waste samples. Many animal waste management studies are conducted at BAE.

Software Computer Labs

image: students look up at lab computer

Lab computers are loaded with high-end licensed engineering software like ANSYS, a data collection and calculation software.

image: students work at a problem presented in lab

In this picture students work with TK Solver which is an equation solving software used in engineering practice.

Metal Working Lab
(Student Shop)

image: students work in the machine shop

A sheet metal project is underway in the student shop area. Every BAE student takes this shop class learning about the proprieties of different materials and determining their uses and limitations. When an engineer specs out a job this knowledge is invaluable.

image: overall view of the shop at BAE

This is a rare quiet moment in the student shop area.

Agricultural Engine Labs

image: large engine lab at BAE

Students in the large engine lab are tooling a tractor. The ability to retrofit existing equipment is often more valuable to a manufacturer or owner than a new piece of machinery.

engine class

AET technology students are taking apart a engine then reassembling it from the bottom up. Some students focus on agricultural technologies in the AET Program while others may choose to work with environmental technologies.

Professional Laboratories

The Research Shop at BAE is staffed by machine shop professionals for the fabrication of campus-wide fee-based research projects. Future engineers must learn how to order machined parts therefore, students may request shop parts to be made if it is intended for their senior design projects or for a student/faculty research project.

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Since the 1950's Weaver Labs has been the home of one of the USDA Peanut Research Labs. This particular lab researches peanut market quality and handling. Having this lab located in Weaver Laboratories offers unique opportunities for graduate students interested in the bioprocessing aspects of peanuts.

The Environmental Analysis Lab is a fee-based lab which performs full chemical analyses of samples on, soil, wastes, waste waters, solid waste, solids and plant tissue. Local government, faculty and extension personnel primarily utilize the services of this lab. The lab is staffed by laboratory professionals. Students may submit requests for sampling that are faculty initiated.