About Life Sciences Quest
What is Life Sciences Quest?
Life Sciences Quest is a mind-enriching weeklong residential program at Mizzou for students of the Parkway School District who have been identified as having a passion for science and have an interest in exploring life science research with Mizzou faculty.
The goals of Quest are:
- To introduce students to an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to scientific discovery in the life sciences with faculty mentors.
- To introduce students to business and industry leaders in the Life Sciences.
- To introduce students to potential career opportunities in research, law, medicine, agriculture and veterinary medicine that satisfy their passion for science.
Why focus on the life sciences?
By the year 2050, the world's population is expected to grow by 50 percent, creating unprecedented demand for food, medical care and natural resources.
Mizzou's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) is playing a major role in launching and leading discoveries in food, human health and nutrition and improving and preserving our environment. From the discovery of rapid diagnostic tests for identifying harmful organisms on foods to the development of replacement/transplantable organs to save human lives, CAFNR researchers remain at the forefront of scientific discovery.
- Mizzou scientists led the nation in the amount of awards for plant genomic grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) last year.
- Mizzou was in the top 25 institutions in 2004 for receiving funding for life sciences from the NSF to study a variety of challenges related to human and animal health, food and nutrition, and the environment.
- Mizzou is one of the few universities in the nation with an emphasis in urban wildlife, the study of how urbanization affects habitats and wildlife populations.
- A new Life Science Center opened recently at Mizzou representing a Missouri initiative to create a life sciences focus for industry within the state. (Missouri is home to more than 100 life sciences firms and several research institutes, comprising a major portion of the emerging I-70 Biotech corridor.)
Who teaches at life sciences quest?
The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources takes great pride in having faculty teach our undergraduate students. Beginning with their first semester, our students experience award winning faculty directing their learning. The Academy experience will be no different. The sessions will be led by award winning faculty.
The faculty will provide the students with a university experience during each of the interactive learning sessions. Through this interaction, the students may identify a faculty member to mentor them if they choose to attend Mizzou for their post-secondary education - a great head-start.
