diff --git a/release-notes/next-release.md b/release-notes/next-release.md
index a38777b5a..8bb9bbe10 100644
--- a/release-notes/next-release.md
+++ b/release-notes/next-release.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## New features
 
+* View number of genes in model notebook representation.
+
 ## Fixes
 
 * serializes GPRs to strings to avoid massive storage usage
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/dictlist.py b/src/cobra/core/dictlist.py
index dad2c71b4..32d45ea85 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/dictlist.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/dictlist.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 )
 
 import numpy as np
+import pandas as pd
 
 from .object import Object
 
@@ -542,3 +543,28 @@ def __dir__(self) -> list:
         attributes.append("_dict")
         attributes.extend(self._dict.keys())
         return attributes
+
+    def to_df(self):
+        """Convert to a pandas dataframe."""
+        item = None
+        columns = []
+
+        if self:
+            item = self[0]
+            columns = [col for col in item._DF_ATTRS if col != "id"]
+
+        data = []
+        ids = []
+
+        for item in self:
+            ids.append(item.id)
+            data.append([getattr(item, attr) for attr in columns])
+
+        df = pd.DataFrame(columns=columns, data=data, index=ids)
+
+        return df
+
+    def _repr_html_(self):
+        """Display as HTML."""
+        df = self.to_df()
+        return df._repr_html_()
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/formula.py b/src/cobra/core/formula.py
index 8aeab23bf..fbbb33d58 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/formula.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/formula.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ class Formula(Object):
         A legal formula string contains only letters and numbers.
     """
 
+    _DF_ATTRS = ["formula"]
+
     def __init__(self, formula: Optional[str] = None, **kwargs) -> None:
         """Initialize a formula.
 
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/gene.py b/src/cobra/core/gene.py
index 4d8a13576..e6e1a1543 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/gene.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/gene.py
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ class Gene(Species):
         used.
     """
 
+    _DF_ATTRS = Species._DF_ATTRS
+
     # noinspection PyShadowingBuiltins
     def __init__(self, id: str = None, name: str = "", functional: bool = True) -> None:
         """Initialize a gene.
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/group.py b/src/cobra/core/group.py
index ac2e508b3..39651ff49 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/group.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/group.py
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class Group(Object):
         or member is involved in a disease phenotype).
     """
 
+    _DF_ATTRS = ["id", "name", "kind"]
+
     KIND_TYPES = ("collection", "classification", "partonomy")
 
     def __init__(
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/metabolite.py b/src/cobra/core/metabolite.py
index 6b3d31dc9..131a94e57 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/metabolite.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/metabolite.py
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ class Metabolite(Species):
        Compartment of the metabolite.
     """
 
+    _DF_ATTRS = Species._DF_ATTRS + ["formula", "compartment", "charge"]
+
     # noinspection PyShadowingBuiltins
     def __init__(
         self,
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/model.py b/src/cobra/core/model.py
index 597c3802b..156744ead 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/model.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/model.py
@@ -1500,6 +1500,9 @@ def _repr_html_(self) -> str:
             </tr><tr>
                 <td><strong>Number of reactions</strong></td>
                 <td>{len(self.reactions)}</td>
+            </tr><tr>
+                <td><strong>Number of genes</strong></td>
+                <td>{len(self.genes)}</td>
             </tr><tr>
                 <td><strong>Number of groups</strong></td>
                 <td>{len(self.groups)}</td>
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/reaction.py b/src/cobra/core/reaction.py
index 0623ae170..4508096ec 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/reaction.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/reaction.py
@@ -85,6 +85,15 @@ class Reaction(Object):
         Further keyword arguments are passed on to the parent class.
     """
 
+    _DF_ATTRS = [
+        "id",
+        "name",
+        "subsystem",
+        "gene_reaction_rule",
+        "lower_bound",
+        "upper_bound",
+    ]
+
     # noinspection PyShadowingBuiltins
     def __init__(
         self,
diff --git a/src/cobra/core/species.py b/src/cobra/core/species.py
index 39749fcd0..413c038ec 100644
--- a/src/cobra/core/species.py
+++ b/src/cobra/core/species.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ class Species(Object):
        A human readable name.
     """
 
+    _DF_ATTRS = ["id", "name"]
+
     # noinspection PyShadowingBuiltins
     def __init__(
         self, id: Optional[str] = None, name: Optional[str] = None, **kwargs
diff --git a/tests/test_core/test_dictlist.py b/tests/test_core/test_dictlist.py
index 5b2d35586..b5630f542 100644
--- a/tests/test_core/test_dictlist.py
+++ b/tests/test_core/test_dictlist.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from pickle import HIGHEST_PROTOCOL, dumps, loads
 from typing import Tuple
 
+import pandas as pd
 import pytest
 
 from cobra.core import DictList, Object
@@ -468,3 +469,38 @@ def test_union(dict_list: Tuple[Object, DictList]) -> None:
     # Add only 1 element
     assert len(test_list) == 2
     assert test_list.index("test2") == 1
+
+def test_to_df(dict_list: Tuple[Object, DictList]) -> None:
+    """Test to_df for dictlist.
+    
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    dict_list : tuple
+        The fixture for filled dictlist.
+
+    """
+    _, test_list = dict_list
+    test_list.name = "foo"
+    df = test_list.to_df()
+    assert isinstance(df, pd.DataFrame)
+    assert len(df) == 1
+    assert "id" in df.columns
+    assert "test1" in df["id"].values
+    assert "name" in df.columns
+    assert "foo" in df["name"].values
+
+def test__repr_html(dict_list: Tuple[Object, DictList]) -> None:
+    """Test _repr_html_ for dictlist.
+    
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    dict_list : tuple
+        The fixture for filled dictlist.
+
+    """
+    _, test_list = dict_list
+    test_list.name = "foo"
+    html = test_list._repr_html_()
+    assert isinstance(html, str)
+    assert "test1" in html
+    assert "foo" in html
\ No newline at end of file