The Department of Environmental Biology (DBA) of Sapienza University of Rome was established in July 2010 following the reorganization of three historic departments in the biological area of the University: Plant Biology, Animal and Human Biology, and Genetics and Molecular Biology.
Today, the Department includes 57 faculty members – among professors, researchers, and research fellows – engaged in research and teaching in the fields of anthropology, bioethics, botany, chemistry, ecology, microbiology, and plant pathology.
Teaching activities are carried out within numerous degree programs, including Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Technologies for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Agro-industrial Biotechnology, Pharmacy, and Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies.
As of January 1, 2026, the technical-administrative staff consists of 29 units working in management, research laboratory support, museum facilities, and the library.
The Department of Environmental Biology has been selected among the Departments of Excellence of Italian state universities for the five-year period 2023–2027 – a prestigious recognition that rewards the high quality of the Department’s research, project development, and teaching activities.
The Department hosts the Library of Environmental Biology, three museums (the Museum of Anthropology, the Botanical Garden Museum, and the Herbarium Museum), 23 research laboratories, and the Experimental Botanical Garden. It is also home to the inter-university research center “Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Sustainability” (CIRBISES).
The Department is located in the historic Botany building, designed by architect Giuseppe Capponi between 1932 and 1935, in the heart of the University Campus.