The history of the College of Life Sciences can be traced back to the 1930s. Following the scientists of older generation—Shenghan Shi, Honghan Wen, Jiahai Jing, Shaotang Wang, Peihong Wang and Heming Ji— several generations of other researchers have been exerting their utmost efforts to the development of the college. Now the college has formed the tradition of giving high priority to practice and capability fostering, and it is growing steadily with faculty members and students adhering to the college motto “Virtue, Determination, Diligence and Innovation”.

　　Currently, there are 194 faculty members including 38 professors and researchers, 63associate professors, 25 doctoral supervisors, 49 master’s supervisors.  1 professor who wins China National Funds for Distinguished Young Scientists is working in the four departments of the college—Department of Biotechnology, Department of Microbiology and Bioengineering, Department of Biological Sciences, and Modern Instruments Teaching and Experiment Center. The four departments (center) comprise nine teaching and research sections as well as three teaching laboratories. In the college, there are eight research centers (institute) namely, Key Laboratory for Molecule Biology of Agriculture, Shaanxi GAP Attestation for Chinese Medical Crops Consulting Center, Shaanxi Fingerprint Atlas and Natural Products Research Center, Northwest A&F University Biotechnology Research Center, Northwest A&F University Microbiology Research Center, Northwest A&F University Bio-informatics Research Center, Northwest A&F University Standardization of Chinese Medical Crops Research Center and Northwest Plants Research Institute, and the biggest Herbarium museum among institutions of higher education in China.

　　Botany and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology are two provincial key disciplines. Besides, Biotechnology and Bioengineering are provincial name brand specialties. In the college, there is a postdoctoral research station in the level I discipline-Biology. The college is authorized to confer doctoral degree in 5 disciplines, including the level I discipline, Biology, and five level II disciplines--Botany, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Medicinal Botany and Bioinformatics. It is also authorized to confer master’s degree in 5 disciplines which are the level I discipline Science of Chinese Pharmacology and five level II disciplines-- Botany, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Medicinal Botany and Bioinformatics. Three specialties of Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Bioengineering are available for undergraduates.

　　Though it is still a long way to go to construct the faculty system and discipline development of life sciences, in the new age of change, the college, following in older generations’ footsteps, will make joint efforts to seize every opportunity to make greater contribution to the sustainable development of the new college of life sciences.