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CVM Faculty Innovations in 2021
MU College of Veterinary Medicine CVM faculty members were able to make discoveries and generate innovations in myriad areas in 2021 thanks in part to their access to a unique combination of resources and disciplines at Missouri’s largest public research university. Researchers who believe they have an innovation with commercial potential report their inventions to the Office of Technology and Advancement, which evaluates each invention for novelty, utility and market potential after discussions with contributors and an analysis of scientific and patent literature, potential competitors and other factors. CVM Innovators with Patents, Commercial Agreements, Startup Companies and First Product Sales…
MU ReCHAI Finds Important Effects of Pet Ownership on Families of Children with Autism
April is Autism Awareness Month, and the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine is conducting studies focused on the disorder. Autism, as defined by Autism Speaks, an advocacy charity dedicated to promoting solutions for the needs of individuals with autism and their families, is a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. The spectrum of severity varies greatly among those who are affected. Gretchen Carlisle, PhD, a research scientist at ReCHAI, has been studying children with autism and pets for 10 years,…
Three MU Faculty Named 2021 AAAS Fellows
Three professors at the University of Missouri have been named 2021 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for their distinguished efforts in advancing various fields of science. The recipients are: Lee-Ann H. Allen, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and the George Trimble Endowed Chair for Excellence in Medicine in the MU School of Medicine Susan Renoe, associate vice chancellor for strategic initiatives in the Office of Research and Economic Development, assistant professor of strategic communication in the Missouri School of Journalism, and executive director of the Center for Advancing…
MU Study Identifies Mutations Specific to Omicron Variant
Findings show impact of mutations on pre-existing antibodies among vaccinated individuals, those who previously tested positive. While the Omicron variant continues to infect people around the world, researchers at the University of Missouri have identified the highly prevalent, specific mutations that are causing the Omicron variant’s high rate of infection. The findings help explain how the new variant can escape pre-existing antibodies present in the human body, either from vaccination or naturally from a recent COVID-19 infection. “We know that viruses evolve over time and acquire mutations, so when we first heard of the new Omicron variant, we wanted to…
Study: BPA Exposure of the Placenta Could Affect Fetal Brain Development
University of Missouri scientists examine how the transfer of bisphenol A (BPA) from mother to child could affect fetal brain development. In a new study, scientists at the University of Missouri demonstrate the direct transmission of bisphenol A (BPA) from a mother to her developing child via the placenta could negatively impact fetal brain development. Cheryl Rosenfeld, a professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and colleagues propose more attention should be placed on how this temporary organ affects fetal brain development. “The placenta is only a temporary organ that aids in the exchange of nutrients and…
MU Research Reactor Still Breaking New Ground in Fifth Decade of Operation
Two recent milestones in development of cancer treatments shine a spotlight on the most powerful university research reactor in America. After more than 50 years supporting research and industry as the most powerful university research reactor in the country, the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) is still making waves. The reactor, now in its 55th year of operation, was recently a part of two major milestones in the development of cutting-edge cancer therapies. Therasphere, a groundbreaking form of treatment for a certain type of liver cancer that was invented and patented by both MU and Missouri University of Science…
MU Lab Aids Surveillance Efforts for Deadly African Swine Fever
Recent reports of African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in the Dominican Republic and Haiti have heightened surveillance efforts for the highly contagious viral swine disease in the United States. University of Missouri’s Shuping Zhang, professor and director of the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, explains the dangers of ASF and the role the VMDL plays in testing for the virus to help protect animal health and the country’s agriculture industry. What is African Swine Fever and why is it so concerning? ASF is a highly infectious and deadly viral disease that affects both…
MU Researchers Identify Mutations of Delta, Delta Plus Variants
When Kamlendra Singh flew back to Missouri from India in April, he developed a cough and fever on the plane, despite being vaccinated for COVID-19 and testing negative for the virus right before departure. Still, Singh tested positive for COVID-19, most likely due to infection from the Delta variant, upon his arrival home in Boone County – a diagnosis other fully vaccinated people and those who have already tested positive for the contagious virus were experiencing. He wanted to know why. Following his recovery at home, Singh, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and Bond Life Sciences…
MU Project Studies Increasing Prevalence of Chronic Wasting Disease
Findings help increase awareness for deer hunters, surveillance efforts in Midwest. Researchers at the University of Missouri have found chronic wasting disease – a fatal illness found in deer that affects their neurological system and causes chronic weight loss – has spread fivefold among Kansas state counties, raising concerns about the spread of the disease and the importance of educating hunters about it. “In 2009, there were only six Kansas counties with confirmed positive cases of chronic wasting disease, and by 2020, there were 32 Kansas counties with confirmed positive cases,” said Zoe Koestel, a doctoral student at MU. “There…
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