In 2021, University of Missouri researchers increased oil content in plants for food and energy, created software to assess speech and swallowing, developed gene therapies for muscular dystrophies, and invented more responsive sensors for military surveillance and medical diagnostics. Learn how MU researchers, including CAFNR scientists, contributed to the economic development mission by bringing discoveries to the marketplace.

The SCN Coalition, a national public-private partnership that includes the University of Missouri Plant Science and Technology Extension, was the recipient of the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Silver Anvil Award in the “Issues Management” category. During the award ceremony the Coalition was recognized for moving more soybean farmers to actively manage the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) – the No. 1 yield-grabbing pathogen of the soybean crop in North America. Awards also went to international companies such as Royal Caribbean.

The Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station will host a handful of field days this fall!

• Friday, August 26 — Fisher Delta REEC Field Day (7 a.m. breakfast, followed by tours)
• Tuesday, August 30 — Northern Missouri REEC Field Day, held at the Greenley Research Farm (7-8 a.m. breakfast; 8 a.m.-12 p.m. tours; followed by lunch)
• Saturday, October 1 — Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Farm (10 a.m.-3 p.m.)

New Research Resource

Shibu Jose, associate dean for research, has announced that CAFNR has joined The Carpentries. The Carpentries teaches foundational coding and data science skills to researchers worldwide. By becoming an institutional member, CAFNR will build capacity for its research community, including graduate students, post-docs, faculty and research staff to learn foundational skills to work effectively and reproducibly with data and code.

Starting in August 2022, CAFNR will host bi-weekly workshops with certified volunteer instructors trained in pedagogy and focused on creating a motivating and engaging environment for learners. These workshops will be inclusive and hands-on, empowering the learning of new skills and building confidence.

CAFNR will host a variety of workshops in three categories.

• Data Carpentry workshops are for people who work with data in their research and want to learn how to code and organize their projects to work more effectively and reproducibly with data.
• Library Carpentry workshops are for people working in a library- and information-related roles to build software and data skills. The workshops are domain-agnostic though datasets used will be familiar to library staff.
• Software Carpentry workshops are for people learning to code to develop software or learn best practices in software development. Lessons are domain-agnostic and teach the Unix shell, coding in R or Python, and version control using Git.

To help identify needs within CAFNR and the broader campus community (the institutional membership that will benefit the broader campus community), we have created a survey to identify which lessons (R, Git, Python, Cloud computing, etc.) to prioritize in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. Please submit your responses by July 15.

In addition, CAFNR is looking for volunteers to serve as instructors and helpers for workshops. Time commitments are flexible. If you would like to volunteer as an instructor or helper and potentially become a certified Carpentries Instructor, please fill out this application. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis 

If you have any questions, please direct them to Samniqueka Halsey (samniquekahalsey@missouri.edu) who will be coordinating the efforts.

Jaume Padilla to Receive 2023 EEP Impact Award

Jaume Padilla, associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology, will be presented the 2023 Environmental and Exercise Physiology (EEP) Impact Award at the American Physiology Summit 2023 in Long Beach, California, in April. The EEP Impact Award recognizes a mid-career primary EEP member who has either established a line of impactful research or has made a seminal discovery in the areas of environmental, exercise, thermal or applied physiology. The American Physiological Society is a global multidisciplinary community that spotlights scientific discoveries in physiology and related disciplines.

Controlled drainage gains interest with extremes
Missouri Farmer Today

Expert: Farmers face turbulent economic outlook
Jefferson City News Tribune

Preventing heat stress in cattle
Quincy Herald-Whig

MU Extension Guide Helps Farmers with Replant Decisions
Missouri Ag Connection

It’s hot. That means spiders are descending from your attic
Arizona Daily Star

Ways to Save on Fuel, Groceries, Vacation, and More
Missouri Net

The CAFNR Office of Research wishes you all a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!