News
June 22, 2015
Scientists uncover how caterpillars created condiments
Chris Pires and an international team gained insight into how Brassicales plants and butterflies genetically co-evolved over millions of years.
June 22, 2015
Scientists uncover how caterpillars created condiments
The next time you slather mustard on your hotdog or horseradish on your bun, thank caterpillars and brassica for that extra flavor. While these condiments might be tasty to you, the mustard oils that create their flavors are the result of millions of years of plants playing defense against pests. But at the same time, clever insects like cabbage butterflies worked to counter these defenses, which then started an arms race between the plants and insects. An international research team led by University of Missouri Bond Life Sciences Center researchers recently gained insight into a genetic basis for this co-evolution…
June 5, 2015
Filling in the gaps of HIV
Stefan Sarafianos' lab figured out how to get the full picture of a key HIV protein used to construct the capsid shell surrounding the virus' genes. The journal Science recently pulished this finding.
June 5, 2015
Filling in the gaps of HIV
By Caleb O’Brien | MU Bond Life Sciences Center The HIV capsid protein (shown above in an array of hexagons) plays a critical role in the virus life cycle. Bond LSC researchers recently developed the most complete model yet of this vital protein. Image by Karen Kirby and Anna Gres Seeing the whole picture can mean a lot when it comes to figuring out HIV. Researchers at the University of Missouri Bond Life Sciences Center are gaining a clearer idea of what a key protein in HIV looks like, which will help explain…
June 3, 2015
Poor parenting or BPA?
California mice exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) or ethinyl estradiol changed their parenting behavior, according to an MU Bond LSC study.
June 3, 2015
Poor parenting or BPA?
Endocrine disruptors alter parent behavior in California mice California mice exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) or ethinyl estradiol changed their parenting behavior, according to an MU Bond LSC study. | Photo by Roger Meissen, Bond LSC By Roger Meissen | MU Bond Life Sciences Center What if a chemical changes the way an animal parents? That could happen due to endocrine disruptors like bisphenol A (BPA). A recent study of California mice exposed to BPA showed parents spend less time feeding, grooming and interacting with their babies, according to University of Missouri research. Even mother mice not exposed to the…
May 28, 2015
Move over Arabidopsis, there’s a new model plant in town
Bond LSC researchers showed for the first time ever that a grass, Setaria viridis, can receive 100 percent of its nitrogen needs from bacteria when associated with plant root surfaces. This grass will now serve as model for research into biological nitrogen fixation that could benefit crop development.
May 28, 2015
Move over Arabidopsis, there’s a new model plant in town
Bond LSC researchers showed for the first time ever that a grass, Setaria viridis, can receive 100 percent of its nitrogen needs from bacteria when associated with plant root surfaces. This grass will now serve as model for research into biological nitrogen fixation that could benefit crop development. | Photo by Roger Meissen, Bond LSC By Roger Meissen | MU Bond Life Sciences Center As farmers spend billions of dollars spreading nitrogen on their fields this spring, researchers at the University of Missouri are working toward less reliance on the fertilizer. Less dependence on nitrogen could start with a…
May 21, 2015
Forest at your fingertips: smartphones enhance fieldwork
“Fieldwork” means many things to researchers, but in the past it often meant working without easy access to communication. Now cell phones allow my students visiting the La Selva Biological Station in the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica to remain connected.
May 21, 2015
Forest at your fingertips: smartphones enhance fieldwork
An MU student uses his cell phone while in Costa Rica. | Photo by Jack Schultz, Bond LSC By Jack Schultz | Director of MU Bond Life Sciences Center “Fieldwork” means many things to researchers, but in the past it often meant working without easy access to communication. Now cell phones allow my students visiting the La Selva Biological Station in the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica to remain connected. While our science and journalism majors learn to report on biological research, I find that I can be replaced. As an experienced biologist who has taught and…
May 12, 2015
The Curious Case of Inflammation: One Lab’s Mission to Put the Pieces Together
Gary Weisman has been investigating one criminal for the past 30 years. And he’s certain there’s a way to prevent negative effects of the unsolved case of inflammation.
May 11, 2015
The Curious Case of Inflammation: One Lab’s Mission to Put the Pieces Together
White coat, dark room. Jean Camden, a senior technician in the Weisman lab, reviews salivary gland and brain tissue samples for research on inflammation. | Photo by Paige Blankenbuehler, Bond LSC By Paige Blankenbuehler | MU Bond Life Sciences Center There’s a criminal on the loose, striking every day. Millions fall victim, but there’s still no way to stop it. And, in all likelihood, you have been hurt by it. If inflammation is an unsolved criminal case of the last three decades, then Gary Weisman has been the detective. He’s certain there’s an accomplice — perhaps many…