Research Experience for
Every STEM Student
Borchard Labs brings hands-on scientific research to undergraduates who lack access to traditional lab opportunities. Run ecological simulations, collect real data, and publish your findings — all from your browser.
How It Works
Three steps from curiosity to publishable research
Choose an Experiment
Pick from 16 research simulations spanning behavioral ecology, population dynamics, genetics, marine biology, and more.
Run the Simulation
Observe animal behavior, manipulate variables, and collect data in immersive browser-based field environments powered by HTML5 Canvas.
Analyze & Publish
Export your data, run statistical analyses, write up your results, and submit to the Borchard Labs undergraduate research archive.
Experiment Catalog
Ecological and evolutionary research across five scientific disciplines
Elephant Seal Harem Mating
Observe alpha male dominance displays, copulation events, and harem defense strategies on a simulated beach.
Ideal Free Distribution
Test resource-matching predictions with coots, ducks, sticklebacks, starlings, or bumblebees across variable patch qualities.
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Toggle evolutionary forces—mutation, selection, drift, migration, mating—and watch allele frequencies shift in real time.
Whale Migration Tracking
Follow whale pods across ocean basins on an interactive map, correlating migration routes with sea temperature and food availability.
Who It's For
Research experience shouldn't depend on geography, wealth, or connections
Undergrads Without Lab Access
Students at universities with limited research infrastructure who want real experience before applying to graduate programs.
Working Students
Students who support themselves or their families and can't commit to unpaid research positions or off-campus internships.
Remote & Commuter Students
Students with long commutes or online coursework who can't spend extra hours on campus for traditional lab work.
Interdisciplinary Explorers
STEM majors curious about fields outside their specialty—a chemistry major who wants to try ecology, or a pre-med student interested in evolutionary biology.
Ready to Start?
Borchard Labs is in active development. Explore the experiment catalog to see what's coming, or read about the project's mission and goals.