The ASU Biocollections encompasses two complementary major collections, each with distinct missions and specialized holdings. While managed separately, the collections are united by shared scientific expertise and coordinated stewardship. Together, they support research, education, and long-term biodiversity science through collaborative leadership and complementary infrastructure.
Supported by ASU’s School of Life Sciences, the ASU Natural History Collections (ASU NHC) includes 10 collections enabling research, teaching, and outreach, and holds more than 3.2 million specimens. It contains one of the world’s largest collections of Sonoran Desert biota spanning the U.S.-Mexico border. The ASU NHC is a repository of historical data, with specimens collected dating back to the 1800s through present day. Specimens included in the ASU NHC originate from field work and donations made by faculty, researchers, students, and private enthusiasts. Research and education at the ASU NHC has primarily focused on systematics (naming, defining and classifying groups), biodiversity science, and morphological/anatomical studies (form and relationship between structures) of dry or chemically preserved natural history specimens.
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Biorepository is a continental-scale major research infrastructure for long-term ecological monitoring supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, with over 1.1 million physical samples. The Biorepository holds contemporary samples and is expected to continue to grow until at least 2049. It houses a diverse array of fully digitized samples from all 81 NEON field sites, with a large portion of its holdings preserved through cryogenic methods. All samples are linked to rich contextual data generated by NEON accessible to the research community via an online data portal.
