In Hollywood, death is usually dramatic and loud. But for most living organisms, it’s slow and silent. To keep an eye on the health of several at-risk species, Missouri State University’s biology department has a contract with the National Park Service (NPS). Since 2004, this relationship has allowed students and faculty to conduct research at 15 national parks. They … [Read more...] about Health of many species studied through parks partnership
Leah Brand and Julie Curless spent their part of their summer in the vineyards. As part of a National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program (NSF-PGRP) grant, they sampled grapevines at E.J. Gallo Winery in California’s Central Valley. Dr. Laszlo Kovacs, professor of biology, is a co-investigator on the project, entitled "Adapting Perennial Crops for Climate … [Read more...] about Research opportunity and industry experience in one project
A lot of people find snakes scary or gross. Ciera McCoy, a graduate biology student, uses them to learn more about diseases. McCoy presented part of her master’s thesis at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Rochester, New York, July 11-15. About her research McCoy looks at viruses that mosquitoes carry and can make humans sick and sometimes be … [Read more...] about Using cottonmouths to track down disease
Meagan Rippee-Brooks started her thesis research early. How early? She started it in her undergraduate years. After learning from graduate student lab mentors, she started her research her senior year. About Rippee-Brooks's research Rippee-Brooks's research centers around co-infections. When someone gets influenza A, their immune system is too busy fighting the flu to … [Read more...] about From excited undergrad to capable grad student
The Lednia tetonica is a species of stonefly that can only be found in the alpine streams of the Grand Teton Mountain Range. Not much is known about it. But a team of researchers, including Dr. Debra Finn, assistant professor of biology at Missouri State University, is trying to find out as much as they can about the species before it disappears. Climate change is threatening … [Read more...] about Scientists research stonefly species