Bacterial ID Virtual Lab vs NWHSU DC Methods
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab
Explore the science and methods for identifying bacteria using DNA sequences. This interactive virtual lab simulates modern techniques applicable in research and forensics. It's designed for high school biology students and science enthusiasts.
- Learn DNA sequencing techniques
- Identify different bacteria types
- Simulates real-world lab methods
- Applicable to research and forensics
- Interactive virtual lab environment
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Learn about the science and techniques used to identify different types of bacteria based on their DNA sequences. Not long ago, DNA sequencing was a time-consuming, tedious process. With readily available commercial equipment and kits, it is now routine. The techniques used in this lab are applicable in a wide variety of settings, including scientific research and forensic labs. This app is geared for high school biology students and anyone interested in the biological sciences. The Bacterial ID Virtual Lab was first released in 2000 as a browser-based interactive lab. Since its inception, it and the other HHMI Virtual Labs have won several awards, including the Pirelli INTERNETional Award's top prize in 2002. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a nonprofit medical research organization that ranks as one of the nation’s largest philanthropies. HHMI plays a powerful role in advancing biomedical research and science education. HHMI brings the latest biomedical research into the classroom with the award-winning BioInteractive website and the Holiday Lectures on Science. BioInteractive features free resources for science education, including animations, videos, interactive features, and classroom materials. The Holiday Lectures on Science feature world-class scientists who bring their leading-edge research to the classroom.
NWHSU DC Methods
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DC students and faculty/TAs can access their Methods curriculum portal through this dedicated app. This app is intended for current students and faculty/TAs and requires an existing account to use. Student can see assessment information from lab and see aggregated reports based on their data. Faculty/TAs complete assessments on students and Faculty can see aggregated data for cohorts/courses.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: NWHSU DC Methods at 3 against Bacterial ID Virtual Lab's 1. Bacterial ID Virtual Lab's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab ships an update every 14 months, NWHSU DC Methods every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bacterial ID Virtual Lab | NWHSU DC Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (9 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months — better | Every 15 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Howard Hughes Medical Institute | NORTHWESTERN HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY |
In-app purchases
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab
No in-app purchases
NWHSU DC Methods
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bacterial ID Virtual Lab free?
Is NWHSU DC Methods free?
Do Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or NWHSU DC Methods have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or NWHSU DC Methods?
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