Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory

This week at the MSCL, our quality procedure training topic was document control. Side note: apparently "I saved it somewhere on my desktop" is not an approved record retention strategy.

Dr. Erika Womack Peoples created an amazing exercise for the group to refresh themselves on the importance of keeping procedures, forms, and records organized, controlled, and up to date. It may not be the flashiest part of laboratory operations, but when it comes to quality, traceability, and compliance, document control is the unsung hero working behind the scenes.

Remember: if there are five versions of a document floating around, the wrong one will always find you first. Stay organized, stay compliant, and may all your revisions be properly approved!

Hey, so.... Did you know that if you removed all the empty space from the atoms in your body, your remaining mass could fit inside a single grain of salt?

Anyways. We hope you enjoyed your holiday and had a chance to honor those who have fallen 🦅

Make sure to follow our page closely, as we will spend the next month or two introducing our team!

🎉 Happy Lab Week from the MSCL! 🧪🔬

Last week, we finished up strong celebrating the incredible people behind the science at the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory. From analytical testing and research support to quality assurance and sample prep, our team works hard every day to provide accurate, reliable results that support agriculture, industry, public health, and research across Mississippi and beyond.

Our staff participated in the 2026 MSCL Lab Week Olympics featuring events like:

🏓 Beaker Pong
🧤 PPE Relay Race
🧪 Erlenmeyer Toss
🧠 Lab Trivia
🐾 Mystery Feed Sample Challenge

Thank you to our amazing staff for your dedication, teamwork, and passion for science. We appreciate everything you do to keep the lab running.

Please take the time to congratulate our winners!

MSCL takes on Mobile!

Laboratory Analysts (Julie, Anna Beth, and Sara) and an MSU student (Elizabeth) were able to join Agilent Technologies in Mobile, AL for a very informative workshop.

The two-day workshop focused on key aspects of GC, HPLC, and MS. The workshop featured live demonstrations along with show-and-tell sessions. Agilent provided a closer look at tools, techniques, and workflows that can transform your day-to-day lab operations.

*The items pictured were display items and will not be used in future analytical work* 🤣

The MSCL has kicked off May with a lot of force! This week the lab celebrates 'MSCL's Lab Week.' Be sure to stay tuned this week for all the festivities.

MSCL Lab Week 2026- upcoming

⭐ Monday, May 4th
🎬 Theme: Star Wars – May the Fourth Be With You
🧑‍🚀 Star Wars attire encouraged
👥 Lab-Wide Meeting
🍩 Donuts + ☕ Coffee (on the dark side)

🌮 Tuesday, May 5th
🎉 Theme: Cinco de Mayo
📍 Lab Lunch

💖 Wednesday, May 6th
🎀 Theme: On Wednesdays We Wear Pink (Mean Girls/Guys)
👚 Wear pink
🎨 Do you know your peers contest?

🕺 Thursday, May 7th
📼 Theme: Throwback Thursday
👗 Wear 70s | 80s | 90s |00’s attire
🤝 Team Building Day (to be not so mean)

🏅 Friday, May 8th (Morning)
🔥 Theme: MSCL Lab Olympics
👕 Jersey or 🧢 cap day
🏃 Lab Olympics activities

The MSCL was grateful for being part of the Undergraduate Research Symposium, where Madeline (BRIDGES student) showcased research on the invasive species, Cogongrass.

Cogongrass might look harmless, but it’s one of the most invasive plants threatening ecosystems across the United States, designated as the seventh-worst w**d in the world. The more we understand how it spreads and how to control it, the better equipped we are to stop it.

Investing in research today means healthier landscapes tomorrow. Let’s support science that protects our environment.

The MSCL has had a busy April getting out and sharing our exciting work!

Our Laboratory Analysts (Julie Toler, Anna Beth Gaudin, and Sara Sapienza) were excited to attend the AOAC Southern Section’s 35th Annual Meeting as part of our continued pursuit of analytical excellence. By collaborating with peers and leading scientists, we’re strengthening our commitment to developing and validating innovative methods, establishing best laboratory practices, and building sustainable, high-quality laboratory systems. This conference provides an incredible opportunity to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.

It’s always inspiring to share what we do and engage with other organizations. If you’d like to learn more about the project/research topics we’re working on, we’d love to connect with you!

The Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory was proud to support Dr. Lorin Harvey, Dr. Timothy Ayankojo, Dr. Amee Bumguardner at the North MS Research and Extension Center with a one-day, hands-on workshop focused on carbohydrate extraction and HPLC-ELSD analysis.

Participants worked through preparation of carbohydrate standards and extraction of sugars from sweetpotato samples, strengthening practical laboratory skills essential for agricultural research and product evaluation.

MSCL analyst Julie Toler provided instruction on extraction techniques and standard preparation, while State Chemist Dr. Erika Womack Peoples led the instrumentation portion, covering HPLC operation, ELSD fundamentals, and analytical method considerations. Stephanie Harry Ware of MSCL also attended to engage and learn alongside the group.

Collaborative trainings like this enhance in-state analytical expertise and reinforce our commitment to supporting Mississippi’s agricultural and research communities.