Tag Archives: mu researchers

Frog Eggs Help MU Researchers Find New Information on Grapevine Disease

COLUMBIA, Mo.Vitis vinifera are common grapevines and are the world’s favorite wine-producing varietal. However, research has shown that grapevines are susceptible to powdery mildew, a plant disease, which contributes to significant crop loss for most commercial wine varietals that are cultivated each year. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have used frog eggs to determine the cause of this disease, and have found that a specific gene in the varietal Cabernet Sauvingon, contributes to its susceptibility. (more…)

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MU Researchers Try to Better Predict Storms that Produce Deadly Flash Flooding

Weather phenomenon triggers intense rainfall that leads to flash floods

COLUMBIA, Mo. – According to the National Weather Service, more than 125 people die from flash floods every year. Flash floods often arise from a weather phenomenon known as an “elevated convection,” which causes intense thunderstorms that lead to flash flooding. However, scientists do not have a strong understanding of what causes these elevated storms. A team of researchers at the University of Missouri will deploy to eastern Kansas and western Missouri to study this phenomenon throughout the spring. (more…)

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MU Researchers Develop Advanced Three-Dimensional “Force Microscope”

Innovation could lead to faster drug therapies and increased understanding of proteins on the microscopic level

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Membrane proteins are the “gatekeepers” that allow information and molecules to pass into and out of a cell. Until recently, the microscopic study of these complex proteins has been restricted due to limitations of “force microscopes” that are available to researchers and the one-dimensional results these microscopes reveal. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a three-dimensional microscope that will yield unparalleled study of membrane proteins and how they interact on the cellular level. These microscopes could help pharmaceutical companies bring drugs to market faster. (more…)

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MU Researchers Find Celebrity Journalism May Contribute Positively to Consumer Health Behaviors

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Celebrity journalism is often considered to be without merit, discounted due to its sensational details and lack of news value. MU researchers now say that celebrity journalism may be an underappreciated way to communicate health messages. In a recent award-winning paper, Amanda Hinnant, assistant professor of magazine journalism in the University of Missouri School of Journalism, found some readers of celebrity health stories report that the stories have an impact on their own behavior and how they discuss health issues. (more…)

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