Bond LSC Research
March 26, 2025
Donald Burke-Agüero among faculty honored as 2024 AAAS Fellows
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 as therapeutic agents, as well as for his research on the RNA world hypothesis. To read more, visit…
Jan. 20, 2025
Bond LSC launches Joy of Discovery art contest
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. 28, 2024
Revolutionizing disease prevention
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 nearly $12.9 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a method to preserve microbial samples during transport. To read more,…
Sep. 29, 2024
Ron Mittler’s quest to make soybeans smarter
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 and drought stress. He’ll achieve this by genetically engineering soybean plants in ways that improve their resistance to these stresses. To read more, visit showme.missouri.edu.
Sep. 22, 2024
Roman Ganta and Bing Yang among faculty named Curators’ Distinguished Professors
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.
Aug. 28, 2024
Plant biochemist puts down new roots at Bond LSC
By Sarah Rubinstein | Bond LSC Joe Lynch, Bond LSC principal investigator and assistant professor of Plant Science & Technology poses inside Bond LSC. | Photo by Roger Meissen, Bond LSC Whether growing plants in his garden or experimenting with moon dust, Joe Lynch is on the lookout for his next DIY project. As one of the newest principal investigators at Bond LSC and a MizzouForward hire, the plant biochemist brings a curiosity as he embarks on a new chapter at Mizzou. He is eager to dive deep into understanding how plants use aromatic amino acids to survive…
Aug. 27, 2024
New vaccine created by Roman Ganta study protects cattle from deadly tick-borne disease
University of Missouri researchers are working to develop the first-ever vaccine proven to protect cattle from a devastating tick-borne cattle disease known as bovine anaplasmosis. The disease — which is common in Missouri — infects the red blood cells of cattle and causes hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses nationwide each year due to reduced cattle production, treatment costs and deaths. The study that created the new vaccine was led by Roman Ganta, an MU Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator and McKee endowed professor in Mizzou’s College of Veterinary Medicine. To read more, visit…
Aug. 13, 2024
Dong Xu weighs in on future of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) can write, create videos and power self-driving cars. Someday, MU Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator Dong Xu predicts, it will also perform surgeries. “Industries are already using AI-powered robotics,” said Dong Xu, who recently co-founded an academic journal on the technology. “In the coming decade, AI could also perform surgery with higher success rates than human doctors, do household chores and help manage your finances.” Although AI has roots tracing back more than seven decades, it’s only been in the past couple of years that the broader public has felt its influence in…
Aug. 5, 2024
Virologist joins Bond LSC, takes on LIDR leadership
By Sarah Rubinstein | Bond LSC Anthony Griffiths is the new director of Mizzou’s Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research and a new Bond LSC principal investigator. | Photo by Braiden Wade Growing up in ’70s and ’80s Britain, 10-year-old Anthony Griffiths’ brain had the dangers of rabies seared into it during European vacations. At the time, rabies hadn’t made its way to Britain but was present throughout the continent, and the public service announcement posters were a fearful reminder to remain vigilant. While messages warning against smuggling unquarantined pets into the country scared most children with statements…
July 31, 2024
Fishing cat genetic research paves the way for animal conservation
By Sarah Rubinstein | Bond LSC Rachel Carroll, research specialist in the Wes Warren lab at Bond LSC, stands with magazine cover for her study on fishing cats. | Photo by Braiden Wade As animals face increasing pressure from habitat loss and changing climate in the wild, zoos worldwide strive to reinforce diversity for at-risk populations among their inhabitants. So, when Rachel Carroll took charge of creating a genetic blueprint for the fishing cat — a feline native to Southeast Asia — she had one eye toward helping the often-overlooked “grumpy, overgrown house cat.” “We’re hoping that we…
July 22, 2024
Scientist sees legacy in search for cryptic Covid-19 strain origin
By Sarah Rubinstein | Bond LSC Marc Johnson, a principal investigator at Bond LSC, works at his desk. | Photo by Braiden Wade When Marc Johnson set out to find the source behind the mysterious combinations of coronavirus mutations he found in wastewater, he had no idea this work could one day be his legacy. “If there’s anything in my career that’s ever cited in 100 years, it will be this study,” said Johnson, a principal investigator at Bond Life Sciences Center. The research details how scientists narrowed a search for a cryptic lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus…
July 1, 2024
Mizzou researcher gains global insights through Fulbright opportunity
By Sarah Rubinstein | Bond LSC Bing Yang is a Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator. | Photo by Braiden Wade, Bond LSC For a researcher passionate about making crops more resilient against diseases, working in a rapidly growing, influential country was a huge opportunity. Bing Yang, a Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator, put his knowledge into practice earlier this year in India thanks to a recent Fulbright Specialist Program award. “It was a very rich experience for me to go there and have that firsthand experience in a foreign country,” Yang said. Yang ran a…