In the 1940s, at the Department of Biology and Parasitology of Tbilisi State Medical Institute, Professor Valerian Rostombegov (1878-1965) established the 'Biological Museum,' which was the only museum among the medical institutions at that time.
A significant portion of the museum's exhibition materials were transferred from the former “Caucasian Museum”, which functioned from 1852 to 1919 and served as one of the foremost centers of science and culture in Georgia and Transcaucasia.
The museum had a primary focus on education and remained active for the subsequent 45 year. In 1985, a massive fire damaged the institute’s building, resulting in the destruction of a significant portion of the exhibits. In 1997, through the dedicated efforts of Professor Elene Abzianidze, who was then the head of the Department of Medical Biology, Parasitology, and Ecology at Tbilisi State Medical University, the surviving exhibits were successfully restored and renewed. In 2015, the "Biological Museum" temporarily closed due to the deteriorating condition of the building. In 2023, the museum underwent a comprehensive restoration and rehabilitation. During this process, the museum's format and concept underwent modification, leading to a change in its name. Instead of the "Biological Museum," it is now called the "Museum of Life Sciences," and is under the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics at TSMU.
It is worth highlighting the museum's remarkable exhibits, the majority of which date back a century. The museum houses paleobiological, ornithological, mammological, ichthyological, and botanical specimens that were transferred from the collections of the "Caucasus Museum" and have been exceptionally preserved. Within the paleobiological exhibits, special mention goes to the unique fossilized materials of mollusks, trilobites, ammonites, and graptolites from the Silurian, Cambrian, and Jurassic periods. The museum also contains extensive collections of entomological, helminthological, malacological, ichthyological, herpetological, and ornithological specimens. In addition, the museum features anthropological materials in the form of numerous models, and particular attention is drawn to the embryological exposition. Here, exhibits showcase the early stages of embryonic development in mammals and preparations that depict embryological pathologies, such as anencephaly, hydrocephalus, and others.
In line with the new concept of the museum, an interactive corner has been introduced, allowing visitors to actively engage in hands-on activities. With the assistance of a consultant, visitors can choose to isolate DNA from various biological materials on their own.