Bond LSC Research
June 1, 2026
The path to better flu vaccines may go through pigs
Scientists increasingly turn to pigs in the fight against influenza. Advances in genetic engineering, immunology, and imaging technologies position the animal as one of the most promising models for developing next generation vaccines and therapies against influenza A virus (IAV). Writing in Nature Reviews Immunology, a team of international researchers, including Mizzzou, explain the importance of pigs to study infections in controlled conditions, manipulate immune responses and test new treatments before they are used in humans. “Apart from being similar to people in size, anatomy, and metabolism, pigs develop influenza infections that closely resemble those…
May 20, 2026
Sleeping your way to better immunity?
Mizzou researchers link poor sleep to weaker immune responses and reduced vaccine effectiveness By Sophie Rentschler | MU Division of Research Poor sleep’s consequences may ripple far beyond feeling tired in the morning; it could also weaken how well vaccines protect you. In a new study, University of Missouri researchers found that chronically fragmented sleep (CSF) reduces both the strength and quality of immune responses, potentially limiting the effectiveness of influenza vaccination. “Many people today struggle to get consistent, high-quality sleep,” said Xiu-Feng (Henry) Wan, senior author and director of the NextGen Center for Influenza and…
March 2, 2026
Seizing an epidemiological opportunity
2026 FIFA World Cup wastewater presents chance for Mizzou professor to track traveling pathogens By Sophie Rentschler | MU Division of Research The structure of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is an epidemiologist’s dream. Five million visitors from across the world will amass to watch or play in the soccer competition, and Marc Johnson sees this clustering of people as pathogen data collection opportunity. Kicking off on June 11, 2026, the World Cup is slated to welcome upwards of 100,000 international visitors to the Kansas City area alone, with 5 million visitors making it to one or…
Jan. 25, 2026
Warren recognized for outstanding achievement by The Academy of Science of St. Louis
Congratulations are in order for Bond LSC’s Wes Warren. He is among honorees of the The Academy of Science — St. Louis for 2026. Receiving the Fellows Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science, the Bond LSC principal investigator and Curators’ Professor of Genomics in the Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Surgery, and the Data Science and Informatics Institute joins six prominent scientists and one collaborative program in receiving accolades. They will be officially recognized at an awards ceremony April 8, 2026, at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Read the full release below. ——-…
Nov. 13, 2025
Ron Mittler and Bing Yang among 2025 Highly Cited Researchers
Oct. 12, 2025
Core leads labs through bioinformatics bottleneck to better results
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 it. To prevent Shigella flexneri — a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea in third world countries — the assistant research professor in the lab of Wendy Picking at Bond Life Sciences Center, has to sort through troves of data unveiled from mice organelles given versions of the vaccine.
Sep. 24, 2025
An intercellular snapshot
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 could be mistaken for abstract art, this high-definition picture of cellular interactions and distinct structures tagged with bright, highlighter-esque colors are the exact images Paul de Figueiredo needs to explore a form of cancer treatment. “Our eyes are one of our major senses,” said de Figueiredo, a Bond…
Sep. 15, 2025
Burke-Agüero, Warren among those named new Curators’ Distinguished Professors
Aug. 18, 2025
New Joy of Discovery sculpture images celebrate art in science
Aug. 12, 2025
Flu fighters: Mizzou researchers getting a closer look at immune response to influenza
July 16, 2025
Research steps: the movement behind making science work
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 to the activity within its walls when they emerge en masse during lunch breaks, fire drills or class changes. Matt Nelson, a senior engineering technician at Bond LSC, is a constant among these. He starts his day at 7:30…
May 15, 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.