Chemistry lab receives new robotic equipment

When chemistry students return to the lab this semester, they’ll have the opportunity to work with some new cutting-edge equipment.

Thanks to a gift from Bob Collins ’78 and his company, GERSTEL, Inc., the chemistry lab is now equipped with a MultiPurpose Sampler (MPS) — a robotic system that prepares chemical samples and injects them into another instrument so they can be analyzed.

Professor John Kirk says the MPS will greatly improve the efficiency and reliability when measuring chemical compounds in liquids and gases.

Jeff Beverly (left), service engineer for GERSTEL, shows Carthage student Amaya Driver ’23 (right) how to use the MultiPurpose Sampler. “The MPS is a terrific addition to our suite of modern instruments,” says Prof. Kirk. “With the small classes we offer at Carthage, we can ensure that each student gets hands-on experience with cutting-edge equipment such as the MPS, better preparing them for their careers.”

The addition of the MPS will give students exposure to the same equipment they can expect to work with when they enter the workforce as these kinds of systems are increasingly found in manufacturing quality control labs, pharmaceutical research labs, environmental testing labs, and a wide variety of other industries.

Prof. Kirk adds, “We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Collins and GERSTEL for their gift to Carthage and enabling students to learn with instruments they will use after they graduate and work in the laboratory.”

A former chemist, Dr. Collins has served as president of GERSTEL since 1995 and says he is looking forward to a campus visit to see the new equipment in use and to share with students about lab automation and how to prepare for a career in chemistry.