Optimizing Plant Resilience
Erin Sparks Lab
Research Interests
Erin Sparks’ research uses interdisciplinary and multi-scale approaches to optimize plant resilience under abiotic and biotic stressors, for example, by applying a unique blend of principles of mechanical engineering and the genetics of root development.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Erin Sparks
Principal Investigator, Bond LSC
Associate Professor of Plant Science and Technology
Associate Member and Principle Investigator, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
phone(573) 884-1784
email esparks@missouri.edu
Erin Sparks has a BS in Biomedical Engineering, a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology, and Postdoctoral experience in Plant Molecular Biology. Sparks’ research uses interdisciplinary and multi-scale approaches to optimize plant resilience under abiotic and biotic stressors. She was a faculty member at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and the University of Delaware for 8 years. Sparks joined the University of Missouri as a joint faculty member with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in 2025.
LAB MEMBERS
Research Topics
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Crop improvement and agricultural sustainability
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Developmental biomechanics
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Genomic tools and systems biology
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Multi-omics and bioinformatics tools
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Software engineering
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Crop improvement and agricultural sustainability
-
Developmental biomechanics
-
Genomic tools and systems biology
-
Multi-omics and bioinformatics tools
-
Software engineering
In the news
Sep. 27, 2026
Hops, terpenes and the genetic connection to better beer
Photos and story by Evan Johnson | Bond LSC On a small plot of land at Mizzou’s South Farm, Joe Lynch closely looks at the cone-shaped flowers in his rows of hops plants. The Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator and plant biochemist recently started exploring how to improve the taste and breeding potential for beer starting at the flavor source. “Because breeding is done with flavor, it’s a lot more art than science,” said the assistant professor in the Division of Plant Science & Technology. “When you drink an IPA, those pronounced flavors that you’re…
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…