(From Southern News Service)
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new DNA lab will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Room 249 of Reynolds Hall at Missouri Southern State University.
The lab, which was approved by the university’s Board of Governors in August, has been created in partnership with the Joseph Newman Innovation Center. It will serve as a valuable learning tool for Missouri Southern students as well as an asset for regional food manufacturers.
The ceremony will include remarks from Dr. Crystal Lemmons, assistant vice president of academic affairs; Dr. Gerald Schlink, professor of biology and environmental health; Rob O’Brian, president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce; and Dr. Alan Marble, president of Missouri Southern.
With the creation of the DNA lab, students will gain hands-on experience through use of cutting-edge technology. They will learn to operate the testing equipment, prepare samples and analyze results. The lab will also serve as a draw for potential students interested in entering a science-related field.
Training offered through the new DNA lab will also be an asset to the business community. There are 60 food manufacturers in a nine-county region, and a dozen in Joplin alone, said Steve Russell, director of the Joseph Newman Innovation Center. The lab’s focus on food testing will allow businesses to train on the equipment and become familiar with the importance of DNA testing to the food industry.
Russell said that economic development officials in the state of Missouri have targeted three areas for growth: IT, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
“A DNA lab at Missouri Southern hits two of those,” he said.
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