CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University has expanded its research capabilities through a new agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, granting the university access to a billion-dollar national research facility.
The agreement allows Delta State to use the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, or EMSL, a Department of Energy user facility that supports advanced research in biology, chemistry and environmental science. The facility offers cutting-edge instrumentation and data-science resources, including cryogenic electron microscopy, mass spectrometry and high-performance computing.
University officials said the partnership places Delta State among a select group of institutions nationwide conducting research through EMSL and represents a significant expansion of the university’s research infrastructure. The collaboration builds on work supported by the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, a statewide program aimed at strengthening biomedical research at primarily undergraduate institutions.
The first Delta State project under the agreement will be led by Dr. Christopher Jurgenson, Sullivan-Outlaw Professor of Biochemistry. Jurgenson’s team will use EMSL’s cryogenic electron microscopy facility to determine the structure of a plant enzyme involved in producing berberine, a compound with medicinal applications. The project is supported by Mississippi INBRE.
“This partnership gives our students and faculty access to some of the most advanced scientific tools in the world,” Jurgenson said. “It represents a major step toward positioning Delta State as a competitive emerging research institution within Mississippi.”
Dr. Joseph Bentley, interim chair of Delta State’s Division of Mathematics and Sciences, said the collaboration elevates research opportunities for faculty and students.
“Access to world-class facilities like the cryo-EM center significantly broadens the scope and depth of the research our faculty can pursue,” Bentley said. “It positions Delta State to compete at a level that was previously out of reach.”
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is located in Richland, Washington, and operates EMSL on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.
More information about STEM programs at Delta State University is available on the university’s website.
