Instead, it's the work of the Japanese beetle. But it's never just one. The beetles arrive in multitudes out of the earth. From white grubs chewing on the roots of your plants, they grow into a swarm that blankets your plants. They eat the tissue, damaging the plants beyond survival. For farmers, the beetles' attack is an even greater concern. It's devastating to a crop, yet … [Read more...] about Traveling scientist: Finding a home in the lab and field
When a Missouri vineyard manager contacted Dr. Wenping Qiu in 2004 to express concerns about a disease plaguing his vineyard, Qiu speculated the decline was caused by a virus. Unable to find the link with known viruses after two years of testing, Qiu and his research team began utilizing a relatively new technology called RNA (Ribonucleic Acids) sequencing to decipher the … [Read more...] about Getting the juicy details
Schmitt has worked with elephants for more than 30 years. In addition to his role at Missouri State, he serves as the chair of veterinary services and director of research and conservation at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. In this capacity, he oversees the care of about 50 elephants for Ringling Bros. Although elephants are … [Read more...] about Working with endangered Asian elephants
Here, researchers like Dr. Wenping Qiu, director, and Dr. Chin-Feng Hwang, associate professor at the William H. Darr School of Agriculture, explore grape genetics. They want to increase the profitability of the grape and wine industry, ensure its stability and improve human health with their genetic findings. One of the primary grapes studied at the center is Missouri’s … [Read more...] about Keeping grape populations healthy