jack c schultz
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…
Nov. 20, 2014
“Mutant seeds” blossom in the pollen research field
A mutant arabidopsis model nearing pollination. Mutant arabidopsis models under lamps in Shuqun Zhang’s lab. Three-month-old mutant arabidopsis models are used to study the function of pollen. The thought of pollen dispersed throughout the air might trigger horrific memories of allergies, but the drifting dander is absolutely essential to all life. Science has long linked this element of reproduction with environmental conditions, but the reasons why and how pollen functions were less understood. Now lingering questions about the nuanced control of plants are being answered. “Pollen is a very important part of the reproductive process and…