University of Missouri

April 22, 2019

A week in visuals: Missouri Life Sciences Week 2019

Missouri Life Sciences Week 2019 wrapped up on Friday. It brought us a taste of science across our broad research community at Mizzou. From students presenting their hard work in labs to core facilities showing what they do to advance the work of scientists across campus, Bond LSC was bustling with energy. If you missed the action, get a taste of what it all in the photos from the week’s events below. Alexandra Diller Costello explains her research poster Monday morning during the Missouri Life Sciences Week 2019 poster session. | photo by Roger Meissen, Bond LSC…

April 16, 2019

#IAmScience Haritha Dhanikonda

Haritha Dhanikonda is a first-year Ph.D. student studying the evolution of RNA in Donald Burke’s lab. | photo by Mariah Cox, Bond LSC By Mariah Cox There is no shortage of complexities to be solved on Earth, but for Haritha Dhanikonda our discoveries here can be used to further our knowledge of the celestial bodies in the universe. That interest landed her in the lab of Donald Burke in Bond LSC where their RNA work is funded in part by NASA, but her interest beyond this planet started much earlier. From a young age, Dhanikonda was fascinated…

March 18, 2019

Hot topic research networking

Moving science forward through discussion By Danielle Pycior | Bond LSC A casual conversation amongst friends two years ago turned into an initiative to better connect scientists doing related work across the University of Missouri campus. Hot Topic research networking was born out of informal discussions, growing into a cross-campus and cross-discipline network. “They need to talk and communicate to build things up and down the chain,” said Karla Carter, executive assistant to Bond LSC director. “That’s where some of the most exciting science is born.” Carter explained that by helping facilitate these discussions, Bond LSC helps…

March 15, 2019

#IAmScience Michael Greenlief

By Danielle Pycior | Bond LSC In high school, Michael Greenlief had teachers that led his curiosity into a passion for science and problem-solving. Decades later, he is an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Missouri and director of Charles W. Gehrke Proteomics Center located in Bond Life Sciences Center. Depending on the day, Greenlief could be found many places on campus, but his favorite part of MU is working with students. “They keep things going; they keep things fresh,” he said. Through all aspects of his roles on campus, there exists an underlying…

March 14, 2019

Pumping Iron: Leaves play a larger role in controlling how plants absorb micronutrients

By Mariah Cox | Bond LSC How do plants take up and use iron? For David Mendoza, a scientist at Bond Life Sciences Center, it’s not an inconsequential question. He works to decipher the answer in an effort to better fortify the food we eat. “We need to understand how plants accumulate iron,” Mendoza said. “Iron is really important for plants and for us because iron is a critical part of proteins that help produce energy, especially for plants in photosynthesis. Without iron, plants are sick. Without iron, we get sick.” His most recent published work further…

March 8, 2019

#IAmScience Amith Reddy

Mariah Cox | Bond LSC Amith Reddy has been in academia for some time and doesn’t plan to leave anytime soon. With two master’s degrees under his belt, Reddy is only a few months away from completing his Ph.D. in plant sciences. Reddy began his secondary education career in India where he spent most of his life before moving to New Mexico for his second master’s. He cites the hands-on application of science that he first began to experience at the Directorate of Sorghum Research in India as the turning point of his interest in plant sciences.

Feb. 28, 2019

#IAmScience Yul Eum Song

By Danielle Pycior | Bond LSC As an undergraduate student, Yul Eum Song had experiences that put her on a path to help create change. Now as an experienced and educated doctoral researcher, she studies the mechanisms of retroviruses in the lab of Bond LSC’s Marc Johnson, and she continues to love science and the way it answers questions and positively influences the world. “I like viruses because they can be deadly, so it’s really fascinating for humans to learn about,” Song said. Song received her undergraduate degree from Dongguk University in Korea. Though she…

Feb. 15, 2019

#IAmScience Frank Baker

By Danielle Pycior | Bond Life Sciences Center With eyes wide open, glued to metal tubes, researchers from across the University of Missouri’s campus are searching for answers that are unseeable to the unequipped human eye. The Molecular Cytology Core is a resource for anyone to come and further understand their research. The Core’s Imaging Specialist, Frank Baker, has been an intermediary between the facilities equipment and researchers for four years. Molecular cytology is the localization of molecules within the cell. In other words, researchers look at molecular methods occurring to understand cellular functions.

Jan. 30, 2019

The start of an academic relationship

Joint recruitment weekend welcomes prospective grad students to MU family By Danielle Pycior | Bond LSC As laughter and conversation began to fill the hall with the arrival of graduate students from across the country, new relationships began to form. Entering its 10th year, the annual Graduate Life Sciences Joint Recruitment Weekend continues a unique recruitment tradition at the University of Missouri that has only grown with time. Chris Pires, a Bond Life Sciences Center investigator, professor of biological sciences and associate dean for research in MU’s College of Arts and Science, has utilized the event every…

Jan. 3, 2019

#IAmScience Julie Gauthier

By Erica Overfelt | Bond LSC Many might agree that their sex education was not taught well in school. This poorly taught education inspired junior Julie Gauthier to look deeper medicine and sexually transmitted diseases, and it spurred her interest in science. “My high school had an uninformed sex education curriculum,” Gauthier said. “It was not based in science as much as I thought it should be, so when I got here I did a lot of personal research on sex health. Scientists are curious, and I was curious on the subject.” While Gauthier’s initial interest was in science surrounding health, her current research…

Dec. 14, 2018

Closure comes with final defense

Ph.D. dissertation wraps up student career. By Erica Overfelt | Bond LSC Ending your career as a student is a whirlwind of emotion. Ph.D. student Ben Spears soon will be saying his final goodbyes to his lab after he gave his final presentation earlier this month. Spears spent the past six years in Walter Gassmann’s lab in Bond LSC, and he has been a student for almost all of his life. “You know it is kind of surreal,” Spears said. “It’s hard to describe. I mean, I don’t know what it is like to not be a…

Dec. 11, 2018

Stacey named National Academy of Inventors Fellow

By Roger Meissen, Bond LSC Science and invention are both about discovering the possibilities in something. Those possibilities can create something new that improves the lives of people and advances our understanding of the world. It’s no surprise that Gary Stacey, a Bond Life Sciences Center primary investigator, is being recognized this year as one of 148 academic fellows by the National Academy of Inventors. “I am very proud to welcome another class of outstanding NAI Fellows, whose collective achievements have helped shape the future and who each day work to improve our world,” said Paul R.