About the Bond LSC

The University of Missouri was among the first institutions to commit to interdisciplinary research. In the 1980s, MU established two major interdisciplinary programs, Food for the 21st Century and the Molecular Biology Program with assistance from state and federal funding. In the mid-1990s Roger Mitchell, then dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, championed the idea of a major interdisciplinary life sciences research center at MU. Dr. Mitchell, Senator Kit Bond and others worked together to make this idea reality in the form of a modern research facility.

With financial support from state, federal, and private sources, ground was broken in September 2001; construction was completed by the summer of 2004. The first occupants moved in July 2004 and the 230,000 sq. ft. building was dedicated the following September. The award-winning design by the BNIM architectural firm out of Kansas City includes state-of-the-art laboratories, shared meeting areas and public spaces providing unmatched opportunities for interdisciplinary biomedical science and agricultural biotechnology research.

Researchers from 12 departments/divisions in six schools and colleges (Colleges of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Arts & Science; Engineering; Human Environmental Sciences; Veterinary Medicine; and the School of Medicine) are housed in the Bond LSC. The Life Sciences Center reports to the Provost through the Office of Research.

Our vision

To become recognized worldwide as a center of scientific excellence and leadership in life sciences research, innovation and education.

Our mission

• To become the intellectual focus for interdisciplinary research in the life sciences on the MU campus by integrating the strengths of multiple disciplines.
• To promote discovery that impacts human, plant and animal health and enhances environmental quality.
• To enrich the State of Missouri and its people by providing the knowledge bases for new businesses and jobs and training young people to solve complex interdisciplinary problems.
• To make the public aware of the necessity for high-quality fundamental research in the maintenance of quality of life.

Our approach

As a requirement for membership in the Bond Life Sciences Center, researchers have agreed to exploit opportunities for novel research approaches via collaboration with LSC colleagues and others. In return, the LSC shares salary support of LSC investigators with their academic units and offers state-of-the-art facilities and a seed grant program to foster innovation.