University of Missouri

Jay J. Thelen

Jay J. Thelen, a plant biochemist, works on several research projects that employ large-scale biology to quantitatively study protein and metabolic regulation in model and crop seeds. His research interests include metabolic regulation, seed development, plant biochemistry, and the regulation of de novo fatty acid synthesis. These areas of study have the potential for broad impact on both agriculture and human health. Using cutting-edge mass spectrometry instrumentation, Thelen has conducted research on the factors that affect the composition of seeds to determine why certain nuts and seeds contain higher percentages of oil than others. His lab…

Gary Stacey

Gary Stacey is Curators’ Distinguished Professor and Professor of Plant Science and Technology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His research focuses generally on molecular aspects of plant-microbe interactions, including studies of the beneficial legume-rhizobium symbiosis and plant-fungal pathogen interactions. He has also been instrumental in the development of genomic resources for the study of soybean. He has mentored 51 postdoctoral fellows and 36 Ph.D. and 8 M.S. graduate students. Past postdocs have gone on to start independent careers in academia (e.g., Michigan State Univ., Washington State Univ.), industry, as well as winning the 2005 USA…

Michael J. Petris

The Petris lab investigates how minerals are accumulated within the body at the right locations and in the right concentrations. Certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and microbial infection disrupt the cellular balance of minerals that may exacerbate the pathology or improve outcome. The Petris lab is focused on copper. This essential mineral is critical for many metabolic processes, including consumption of oxygen to generate of ATP, the energy source of the cell. However, it is potentially toxic if pathways that regulate its handling are dysfunctional. Using cells and animal models, the Petris lab is interested in how…

Donald H. Burke-Agüero

Donald H. Burke-Agüero is a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology.