The Richard B. Russell Research Center is a major research facility of the Agricultural Research Service. The Center is comprised of seven research Units. The missions of the seven units are as follows: 1) Bacteriological, Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit (BEARRU) is to define and mediate the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria that pose a risk to human health. 2) Poultry Processing and Swine Physiology Research Unit's (PPSPRU) 3) Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit (PMSRU) mission is to eliminate or reduce bacterial pathogens during poultry production so that poultry products are less likely to transmit food-borne disease to consumers. 4) Quality Assessment Research Unit (QARU) mission is to determine the relationship between structure, nutritional value, and quality for plant and food products. 5) Toxicology & Mycotoxin Research Unit (TMRU) mission is to provide the technology to reduce or eliminate hazards of naturally occurring toxins of fungal or plant-fungal origin in corn, cereal and forage grasses that adversely affect poultry, livestock or human health, and thereby lower the value of these agricultural commodities. 6) Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit (ESQRU) is to determine and minimize the bacterial contamination of shell eggs and improve the quality and efficiency of egg processing.

In addition the Center houses the Location Support Office which handles the Facilities Management for the Center and provides the seven research units with administrative support.