Stories

Preston at ceremony.

April 17, 2025

Preston Kellenberger receives Outstanding Senior Award as part of 2025 Celebration of Excellence

Kellenberger is a biochemistry major.
Portrait of Abe Koo

April 17, 2025

Abraham (Abe) Koo receives CAFNR’s 2025 Outstanding Mid-Career Research Award as part of Celebration of Excellence

Koo is a leading plant biochemist known for his groundbreaking research on jasmonic acid (JA), a key hormone in plant defense and stress response.
Students pose with awards.

March 31, 2025

CAFNR students earn awards at Midwest American Society of Plant Biologists

Biochemistry and plant sciences students attended the Midwest American Society of Plant Biologists meeting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, March 21-23, and competed in both oral and poster presentation competitions.
Anna Gonsalves poses.

March 26, 2025

From biochemistry to nutrition and exercise physiology: The path to a PhD

PhD student Anna Gonsalves found her passion for nutrition and exercise physiology through undergraduate research.
Two people pose for a photo.

Feb. 5, 2025

A protein at the heart of heart disease

Mizzou researchers discover the structure of a protein that could lead to more targeted heart disease treatments.

Dec. 12, 2024

Biochemistry student wins first place undergraduate poster at Midwest Drosophila Conference

Hannah Rice, a sophomore biochemistry major, presented a poster at the Midwest Drosophila Conference held in Bloomington, Indiana, Nov. 16 -17.
A student poses for a photo in the snow in front of the Columns.

Dec. 9, 2024

CAFNR Senior Spotlight – Q&A with Luke Annin

Annin is a senior graduating in December with a degree in biochemistry.
Column Award recipients

Nov. 12, 2024

Celebrating our distinguished alumni: CAFNR Column Awards 2024

From left to right: David Larsen, Jonathan Dyer, Blake Hurst, Joel Spencer and Julian Lenis. Not pictured: Kendra Kattelmann. The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources honored six recipients with the 2024 CAFNR Column Award for Distinguished Alumni. This is the only award specifically for alumni presented by the college – the highest honor bestowed by the College in celebration of outstanding alumni. The awardee class includes one graduate from each of CAFNR’s six divisions, reflecting the six historic columns at the University of Missouri. View the event photo album. School of Natural ResourcesDavid LarsenB.S. Forestry ’78, M.S.
Collage of portraits of Van Doren and Barros Rios

Oct. 23, 2024

Plant Science and Technology and Biochemistry researchers harness DOE technology to further biofuels, basic science

Researchers at the University of Missouri have been studying plants to help farmers improve food production since the inception of the university itself, but as plants become pathways to filling other public needs — like biofuels — it opens doors to researchers who want to gain more insight into the ways that plants operate. “All major advancements start with basic science,” said Jaime Barros-Rios, assistant professor of plant science and technology. Jaime Barros-Rios Barros-Rios is one of two CAFNR researchers currently working under innovative grants with the U.S. Department of Energy that allow them access to DOE equipment and laboratories…
An overhead view of a room filled with posters on easels and people gathered discussing those posters.

Oct. 3, 2024

Fourth annual CAFNR Research Symposium poster winners announced

The fourth annual CAFNR Research Symposium was held Tuesday, Oct. 1, and included a poster session. Undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdocs contributed posters to the session. In total, 89 posters were exhibited.