Research
Aug. 13, 2025
Flu fighters: Mizzou researchers getting a closer look at immune response to influenza
A team of researchers at the University of Missouri is on a mission to better understand which immune cells in pigs are most responsive to an influenza infection. Because swine and humans share genetic similarities, their research may one day lay the groundwork for improved therapies or vaccines to protect both pigs and humans against influenza, which has major implications for the pork industry and human health.
Aug. 12, 2025
Biochar improves soil health for cotton production, study confirms
A team of researchers led by the University of Missouri is giving new purpose to an established material — biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from leftover plant waste — and showing how it can address challenges facing today’s cotton growers.
Aug. 12, 2025
Drones can more efficiently measure the health of corn plants, study finds
Researchers at the University of Missouri have found a mix of drones and AI can help farmers measure the health of their corn more efficiently.
July 30, 2025
Researchers identify key survival strategy for soybeans during heat and drought
María Ángeles Peláez-Vico, Ron Mittler and Ranjita Sinha It’s a hot, dry summer afternoon, and the skies offer no relief for a field of soybeans. But within those green leaves, these plants are quietly fighting back. Researchers at the University of Missouri recently discovered that soybeans have a natural defense strategy — called differential transpiration — that helps protect the plant’s reproductive tissues (flowers and seed pods) during extreme weather conditions. Think of it as nature’s version of targeted air conditioning. Ron Mittler “Soybeans keep their stomata — tiny pores used for plant breathing and cooling by evaporation — open…
July 23, 2025
2025 C-DRIG recipients announced
The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Office of Research offers the CAFNR Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (C-DRIG) of up to $2,000 to support or partially support dissertation research projects proposed by doctoral students in the College. Eligible students will have completed their coursework and have advanced to candidacy or will advance to candidacy within six months of the C-DRIG awards. Proposals are evaluated by the CAFNR Research Council, an advisory body that advises CAFNR Office of Research and is made up of representatives from each Division in the College. This year, six awardees were granted $2,000 each. The…
July 21, 2025
Mizzou Researcher Helps Map Global Threats to Marine Megafauna in Landmark UN-Backed Study
As part of a massive international research effort aimed at protecting the ocean’s most vulnerable wildlife, Mizzou researcher Michael Byrne contributed vital data on mako sharks to a landmark study recently published in Science.
July 18, 2025
A ‘first’ for Mizzou
The IFT FIRST conference ran July 13-16, and Mizzou was front and center, as CAFNR’s own Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert helped host and kick off the event as IFT’s president, including sharing a welcome at the opening keynote, cutting the ribbon to officially open the expo, and much more.
July 14, 2025
CAFNR researchers engineer plants for optimal biofuel production
Arabidopsis may seem like a simple plant, but at the University of Missouri, plant biochemist Jay Thelen is using it as a powerful model to explore ways to boost oil production — an important step toward creating more sustainable, plant-based energy sources.
July 11, 2025
T.E. “Jake” Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center to host third annual Ag Research Expo
University of Missouri’s T.E. “Jake” Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center (FD-REEC) invites the public to its third annual Ag Research Expo Wednesday, Aug. 6, in Portageville, Mo.
July 9, 2025
2025 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. The C-DRIG grant supports up to $2,000 or partially support dissertation research projects proposed by doctoral students in the College.