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NEW Community Science Campaign proposal calls now open for EMSL's Functional and Systems Biology science area.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Accelerate your scientific discoveries.

Submit a proposal to access EMSL's world-class expertise and tools.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

What can EMSL offer you?

State-of-the-art instruments and workflows  •  Computational data analysis and modeling  •  Specialized expertise 
 

Open Proposal Calls

Proposal Announcement

Call for 1,000 Fungal Proteins Campaign, FY 2027

fungal proteins
This campaign aims to utilize biochemical and structural biology resources, both experimental and computational (including simulation, data analytics, and informatics), to accelerate the annotation of proteins of unknown function across the fungal kingdom.
Proposal Announcement

Call for Metal-Binding Biomolecules Campaign, FY 2027

Graphic representation of cells and proteins.
This campaign will use a coordinated multiomics approach to investigate the mechanisms of metal selectivity and interaction across diverse microbial strains, species, and experimental systems.
Proposal Announcement

Call for Microbial Biotechnology Campaign, FY 2027

algae microbes
This campaign will use a coordinated multiomics approach to investigate the microbial pathways of diverse microbial strains, species, and experimental systems.

Latest News

News

EMSL Coauthored Paper Ranks Among Journal's Top 10 Percent Most-Read Publications

Composite image of headshots for researchers Lisa Bramer, Kelly Stratton, Yuri Corilo, and David Degnan.
A decade-long evolution in making omics data easier to analyze earns widespread recognition
Publish Date

More News

EMSL and NETL Collaborate to Advance Sources of Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements
Three Proposals Chosen Through Fiscal Year 2027 FICUS EMSL-ARM Call
Meet Postdocs Helping Move EMSL Science Forward
AMP2 Receives R&D 100 Award for Advancing Anaerobic Microbial Research
Ten Proposals Selected for Fiscal Year 2027 FICUS Research Call
New AI Model Could Improve Critical Mineral Discovery and Recovery

Research Highlights

Science Areas
Functional and Systems Biology
Research Highlight

An Activity-based Probe Library for Identifying Protein Function

Illustration depicting PETase molecules breaking down PET-plastic.
A new approach leverages a chemically diverse library of fluorogenic substrates to unmask hidden enzymatic functions in complex microbial communities
Publish Date
Science Areas
Computing, Analytics, and Modeling
Research Highlight

New AI and Machine Learning Tool Predicts Subsurface Processes Important for Critical Mineral Extraction

Abstract digital wave composed of glowing particles. Vertical light trails float above the surface, creating a futuristic atmosphere.
A multi-institutional team combined a physics-informed machine learning approach with established scientific models and data and validated that it accurately predicts the spatial distribution of chemical reactions involved in subsurface resource recovery
Publish Date
Science Areas
Environmental Transformations and Interactions
Research Highlight

Capturing Localized Protein and Metabolic Information from a Single Tissue Section

Photo of a cross section of several plants growing in soil and it displays roots below the surface of the soil
A new workflow enables spatially resolved analysis of both metabolites and proteins using different mass spectrometry modalities on the exact same tissue section, preserving true cell- and region-specific molecular information
Publish Date

Featured User Projects

News

New AI Model Could Improve Critical Mineral Discovery and Recovery

Side-by-side composite image. At left, an abstract digital background featuring flowing lines with glowing particles. In the middle, metallic chunks sitting atop a glowing periodic table. And at right, a landscape of abstract colorful cubes.
EMSL and University of Houston researchers developed a physics-informed machine learning framework that predicts how fluids and chemicals move underground, helping guide future critical mineral extraction strategies
Publish Date
News

New Combo of Spectroscopy, Machine Learning, and MONet Data Unearth Microbial Soil Predictions at Continental Scale

Photo of UW-Madison PhD student Soni Ghimire standing in a lab setting, smiling at the camera.
Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison partnered with EMSL for new insights
Publish Date

Explore EMSL

EMSL Virtual Tour

Screenshot from the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Lab on the EMSL Virtual Tour.
Embark on a virtual tour of our user facility! Explore the laboratories, hear from experts, and learn how our premier capabilities accelerate scientific discovery for the biological, environmental, and computing research communities.

Proposal Calls Overview

Scott Sugden and Jeremy Bougoure work with a sample.
Review EMSL's proposal call opportunities, project timelines, and guidance. Learn about the different types of proposals and tips for submitting a successful proposal.

EMSL User Program

Color graphic of microscopic structures.
EMSL is a national user facility providing the global scientific community with shared resources to advance biological and environmental research at the molecular level.

User Program Services is here to assist throughout the proposal call and research processes. Learn more about available support and view a detailed scoring rubric for proposals.
Photo of isotope ratio mass spectrometry equipment.

Instrument / Resource
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

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Photo of a researcher's hands holding pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry equipment.

Instrument / Resource
Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

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Photo of Anaerobic Microbial Phenotyping Platform (AMP2) equipment.

Instrument / Resource
Anaerobic Microbial Phenotyping Platform (AMP2)

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Photo of researcher Dušan Veličković loading a sample into a MALDI-ScimaX mass spectrometer instrument.

Instrument / Resource
Mass Spectrometry Imaging

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