University of Missouri

Oct. 13, 2025

Core leads labs through bioinformatics bottleneck to better results

Bioinformatics and Analytics Core senior bioinformatics engineer Yulia Innokenteva, left, core interim director Hong An and BAC data scientist Chunhui Xu, left, pose in front of a wall of greenery at the University of Missouri Bond Life Sciences Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. | Photo by Evan Johnson, Division of Research By Sophie Rentschler | Division of Research Ti Lu spends her days perfecting a vaccine, giving shots to charge mouse immune systems to fight off disease, but the hefty data from her samples needs the expertise of Mizzou’s Bioinformatics and Analytics Core (BAC) to help make sense of…

Sep. 25, 2025

An intercellular snapshot

Research Specialist Kathy Rodriguez-Lukey examines mouse ovarian tumor samples using a point scanning confocal microscope Sept. 24 in the Bond LSC Advanced Light Microscopy Core. The wide scan microscope allows users to adjust the way light wavelengths are captured for more fine-tuned imaging results. | Photo by Evan Johnson, Division of Research How advanced light microscopy brings clarity to research questions By Sophie Rentschler | Division of Research Under the microscope, the slice of mouse organ tissue resembled a mix of swirling indigo sky from Van Gogh’s Starry Night mixed with one of Monet’s impressionistic water lily paintings. While it…

Sep. 16, 2025

Burke-Agüero, Warren among those named new Curators’ Distinguished Professors

Aug. 19, 2025

New Joy of Discovery sculpture images celebrate art in science

Aug. 13, 2025

Flu fighters: Mizzou researchers getting a closer look at immune response to influenza  

July 17, 2025

Research steps: the movement behind making science work

Mett Nelson is a research engineering technician with the Bond LSC facilities crew. They keep the buildings parts — from air handlers and refrigeration to electrical supplies and scientific instruments — running when problems arise. | photo by Roger Meissen, Mizzou Division of Research By Sophie Rentschler | Bond LSC Each day Bond Life Sciences Center’s occupants collectively contribute hundreds of thousands of steps in the pursuit of science. Faculty, staff and students can be seen hurrying across its bridges that connect east and west wings of the building, and one can get a full picture of the people contributing…

May 16, 2025

Stacey receives Hales Prize from ASPB

Congrats to Bond LSC principal investigator Gary Stacey for recently receiving the 2025 Stephen Hales Prize from the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) for his noteworthy service in plant biology. His home department wrote up this summary of the award.

March 27, 2025

Donald Burke-Agüero among faculty honored as 2024 AAAS Fellows

Four MU researchers were recognized as 2024 AAAS Fellows, which represent some of the most distinguished leaders in science and innovation. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) recognized four University of Missouri Faculty as 2024 AAAS Fellows for their distinguished work in various fields of science. Among the list is Donald Burke-Agüero, a principal investigator at MU’s Bond Life Sciences Center and professor of biochemistry and molecular microbiology and immunology in the School of Medicine. Burke-Agüero is being recognized for his distinguished contributions to the development of RNA aptamers to investigate viral and cancer biology and…

Jan. 21, 2025

Bond LSC launches Joy of Discovery art contest

Joy of Discovery sculpture in McQuinn Atrium of Bond LSC. Help us connect the public with the artistic side of your science as we continue celebrating our 20th year. Bond LSC seeks Mizzou research images to refresh its Joy of Discovery sculpture in McQuinn Atrium. The contest begins spring semester of 2025. Final selections will be installed in the Joy of Discovery sculpture for 10 years. Important DatesJanuary 27, 2025 – Submission portal opensApril 2, 2025 – Submissions closeApril 30, 2025 – Artists are notified of selected images Find a full set of rules at https://bondlsc.missouri.edu/joy-of-discovery-art-submission/…

Oct. 29, 2024

Revolutionizing disease prevention

Raymond Preston, research specialist, and Erin Barry, a senior in biological sciences, work in the Paul de Figueiredo lab at Bond Life Sciences Center. | Photo by Braiden Wade Understanding microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses is key to protecting human health — especially as experts predict new infectious diseases will continue to emerge worldwide in the coming years. But safely transporting samples of these microbes to labs for testing remains a challenge. That’s where University of Missouri Professor Paul de Figueiredo, his team and collaborators come in. De Figueiredo recently received more than $3.5 million as part of a…

Sep. 30, 2024

Ron Mittler’s quest to make soybeans smarter

For years, mid-Missouri has withstood unpredictable weather patterns, including drought, heat waves and flooding — conditions that are known to hamper agricultural yields and make it difficult for farmers to produce. | Photo by Sarah Kiefer MU Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator and plant geneticist Ron Mittler is finding ways to breed soybean crops that can handle heat, drought and water-logging stresses, improving yields under pressure. Working with $2.4 million from the National Science Foundation, Mittler hopes to add to his more than two decades of research by investigating the mechanisms behind how plants cool themselves while under heat…

Sep. 23, 2024

Roman Ganta and Bing Yang among faculty named Curators’ Distinguished Professors

Nine University of Missouri faculty members Curators’ Distinguished Professors and one Curators’ Distinguished Professor Emeritus were named this year. The University of Missouri Board of Curators recently named nine University of Missouri faculty members Curators’ Distinguished Professors, two of whom are MU Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigators, Roman Ganta and Bing Yang. As the highest academic rank, the professorship is awarded once a year and selects a few reputable scholars distinguished by outstanding work. To read more, visit showme.missouri.edu.