Animal Sciences
June 28, 2022
Zinc Key Regulator of Sperm Functions During Capacitation Process
Scientists have struggled to fully understand how male sperm cells function and why they sometimes fail to fertilize female eggs, which has implications for both livestock farmers aiming to maximize food production, as well as human couples struggling with infertility. In a new study at the University of Missouri, researchers found that zinc ion plays a crucial regulatory role in the sperm capacitation process, or series of changes sperm undergo in the female reproductive tract that enable them to fertilize an egg. Michal Zigo, a research scientist at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), from the laboratory…
June 19, 2022
Lauren Hamilton and Edgar Diaz Miranda Presented the SSR Travel Awards
Lauren Hamilton is a postdoc and Edgar Diaz Miranda is a visiting scholar/graduate student.
June 8, 2022
Jared Decker Presented the Continuing Service Award
Jared Decker is an associate professor in the Division of Animal Sciences.
May 13, 2022
CAFNR Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (C-DRIG) Winners Announced
The CAFNR Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (C-DRIG) are offered through the CAFNR Office of Research.
May 13, 2022
Alexis Jones Awarded the USDA-NIFA-AFRI Merit Award
Jones is a graduate student in the Division of Animal Sciences.
May 9, 2022
Senior Spotlight: Heather Vaughn (Snow)
Vaughn will graduate with a degree in animal sciences.
April 28, 2022
Jordan Thomas Receives Creative Extension Programming by New Faculty Award
Jordan Thomas, assistant Extension professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, has received the Provost's Award for Creative Extension Programming by New Faculty.
April 20, 2022
Wes Warren Recognized with Distinguished Research Award at 2022 Celebration of Excellence
Warren is a professor in the Division of Animal Sciences.
April 20, 2022
Destiny Johns Receives Distinguished Thesis Award as Part of 2022 Celebration of Excellence
Destiny N. Johns received the 2022 William R. Lamberson Distinguished Thesis Award as part of the 2022 Celebration of Excellence awards, held April 19. Johns is a graduate student in the Division of Animal Sciences. She developed her thesis, Conceptus Interferon Gamma is Essential for Pregnancy Maintenance in the Pig, to investigate the role of conceptus interferons in regulating the maternal immune system at the placental/uterine interface to prevent abortion. She presented a research poster at the 53rd Annual Meeting of Society for the Study of Reproduction and was one of only four graduate students to be selected to give…
April 20, 2022
Jordan Thomas Named 2021 J.W. Burch Specialist as Part of 2022 Celebration of Excellence
Jordan Thomas is the 2021 recipient of the J.W. Burch State Specialist Agricultural Extension Award, presented at the CAFNR Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony April 19. Thomas earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and PhD in animal sciences with an emphasis on reproductive physiology at the University of Missouri. He became an assistant Extension professor in 2018 and has served as the state beef reproduction specialist since 2020. Thomas conducts applied research in reproduction management of beef cattle, coordinates the cattle breeding program at the University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, serves as the program advisor for the Show-Me-Select Replacement…