Dairy Diagnostics Laboratory

Mission Statement

The Fresno State dairy diagnostic lab gives students new opportunities to work with the latest technology to ensure herd health, nutrition and milk standards.

The lab, located next the graduate laboratory building near the campus dairy, is accessible to undergraduate and graduate students, including students in dairy classes and those working at the dairy unit to analyze milk quality and assess blood samples for cows with mastitis to determine the most effective antibiotic treatments.

Most of the funds from a $200,000 gift by Land O’Lakes were used to buy specialized equipment to scan and analyze blood, feed and gas samples, as well as fluid composition and bacteria content. Other new equipment includes a centrifuge, incubators, microscopes and an oven.

Students working at the dairy unit gain key hands-on experience in one of the Central Valley’s most respected agricultural industries. California is the national leader in milk production, and nearby Tulare County is the nation’s highest-producing county.

Certain equipment could also be utilized by other Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology faculty who are testing research samples in the Food Science and Nutrition and Viticulture and Enology departments.