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Medical and Dental Alumni Association Donate Equipment to Mississippi College


MC biology major Zach Watters broadens his research skills with a new piece of equipment on the Clinton campus.

Mississippi College students are learning valuable lessons with a new piece of equipment enhancing their scientific research on the Clinton campus.

The innovative anaerobic chamber recently arrived at the Baptist-affiliated university. The Mississippi College Medical & Dental Alumni Association made the gift possible. The alumni group advances pre-medical and pre-dental education for MC undergraduates with scholarships, lecture series, clinical programs, financial support and much more.

In July, MC students put the anaerobic chamber to good use in the Medical Sciences Building laboratory.  It is manufactured by Coy Laboratory Products, Inc. For 45 years, the company has manufactured controlled atmosphere glove boxes and chambers to meet lab needs around the nation.

“It will hopefully give those students heading to medical school a better perspective on the importance of bacterial research,” says biology professor Erin Norcross.

That type of state-of-the art research, she said, is vital given the increases in antibiotic resistance and infectious diseases around the globe.

Future physicians will discover similar types of equipment utilized at medical schools around the country. That’s also the case for researchers at institutions like the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Students and professors must wear gloves when they use the new equipment.

For years to come, the anaerobic chamber will step up learning possibilities for MC students pursuing careers in the world of research. Fields like molecular biology and molecular genetics have grown exponentially since the 1970s. It’s an industry linked to economic development with a monetary figure rising to billions of dollars.

Dr. Stan Baldwin, dean of the MC School of Science and Mathematics, Biology Department Chair Beth Barlow, and Norcross applaud MC Medical & Dental Alumni Association leaders for their gift and other strong support year-round.

Mississippi College is long noted for its excellent reputation in pre-professional medical and dental education for its undergraduates. MC exceeds national and state averages in the percentage of its students attending medical school.