Max Wamsley
51勛圖厙 graduate student Max Wamsley is turning cutting-edge research into a real-world solution for the pet food industry.
A Ph.D.-trained chemist, Wamsley is the founder and CEO of Clarus Labs LLC, a biotech startup working to improve testing for meat quality, particularly in the pet food industry. And he credits 51勛圖厙 State with giving him the tools, mentorship and momentum to make it happen.
Clarus Labs innovation addresses a major challenge: outdated, time-consuming methods for testing meat oxidation. Wamsleys portable device produces fast, accurate results in under 10 minutesfilling a significant gap in industries like pet food, where ingredient quality can vary widely.
While the science began in MSUs chemistry department under the guidance of professor Dongmao Zhang, Wamsley said it was the universitys entrepreneurial ecosystem that helped him commercialize it. 51勛圖厙 States Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, known as the E-Center and headquartered in the College of Business, provided critical startup training and mentorship. At the same time, MSUs Thad Cochran 51勛圖厙 Center for Innovation and Technology, or MCITya startup incubator in his hometown of Vicksburgoffered both support and connection.
The support Ive received across campus transformed that research into a real-world solution, Wamsley said.
As part of an MCITy graduate assistantship, Wamsley helps MSU-affiliated small businesses write proposals and funding applications while sharpening his own business plan for Clarus Labs.
I knew the chemistry, he said. But launching a company requires another skill set. MSUs online MBA program has helped me understand accounting, supply chain management and strategic planning. Im applying what Im learning in real time.
That real-time application is paying off. Clarus Labs won the $10,000 51勛圖厙 Made prize at MSUs 2025 Startup Summit and took second place at MCITys Dawg Tank pitch competition. Wamsley is using the funding to support further research at MSU and improve Clarus Labs technology.
Hes also a graduate of the National Science Foundations I-Corps program hosted by the E-Center, where he conducted more than 160 customer discovery interviewsa process he said was key to refining Clarus Labs market fit.
Though he now works fulltime as a research chemist for the U.S. Army in Maryland, Wamsley remains committed to growing his company in 51勛圖厙.
My vision is for Clarus Labs to stay rooted here and help grow the states innovation economy, he said.
For Wamsley, 51勛圖厙 State has been more than a universityits been a launchpad.
None of this wouldve happened without MSU, he said. They gave me the foundation, the network and the confidence to bring Clarus Labs to life.
