Life Sciences Week occurring for the 25th year

Professors will lecture on cancer research and plant science.

By Amanda Wysocki

Published April 14, 2009

This week marks the 25th annual celebration of Life Sciences Week at MU.

The event began in 1985 as Molecular Biology Week, said Life Sciences Center marketing manager Ginny Booker. It was expanded in 2003 and called Missouri Life Sciences Week.

The events began Monday with a research poster session for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, as well as faculty. There will be another session Wednesday with different projects.

"The poster session is fascinating to visit, even for non-scientists," Booker said. "Most visitors are very impressed with what they see, and it is perfectly acceptable to ask a presenter to explain the work in common, understandable terms."

The categories for this year's poster session include molecular and cellular biology, physiology of health and disease, genetics, environment and evolution, translational technology and science and society.

Graduate student Dipti Sahoo works with transgenic plants, specifically with wheatgrass, maize, soybeans and sol gram.

"If people want a plant with a specific set of genes, we can provide the transgenic plants," Sahoo said.

Sahoo said Life Sciences Week is important in order to showcase all the research that has been done over the course of the past year.

"A lot of people don't know what is going on," Sahoo said. "If there is successful research going on, we need to let people know what we do."

Along with the research presentations, several science centers on campus had booths to advertise their services. The Biomolecular Imaging Center was one of the services with a booth set up.

"We can provide services not only to people on the university campus but also to any other services that are interested in using our services," graduate student Samantha Sublett said.

Booker said the event is important because it provides a venue for scientists to come together and see the research conducted in the many areas of life sciences.

The event also promotes interdisciplinary collaboration in science research, Booker said.

"MU has more than two decades of leadership and experience in establishing a campus culture that encourages collaboration in the sciences, something that many large research institutions are just beginning to see as important," Booker said.

Sublett said Life Sciences Week is important because of the collaboration.

"Many different resources advertise the services available and this can lead to different partnerships," Sublett said.

The other big events of Life Sciences Week include lectures from internationally acclaimed scientists. Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Richard Hynes gave a lecture Monday afternoon on cancer research.

Cornell University professor Eloy Rodriguez will give a lecture Friday afternoon on the genesis and application of natural plant medicines.

There will be a vendor show Wednesday along with the poster session.

"The vendor show is essentially a trade show where several dozen companies which provide scientific supplies, equipment and services rent table space to highlight their products and interact with students, faculty and laboratory staff," Booker said.

The event has expanded over the years to incorporate more programs within life sciences, Booker said.

"There are many more disciplines now that are part of the interdisciplinary approach to solving problems that involved food, health and the environment," Booker said.

Booker said Life Sciences Week differs from other weeklong celebrations, such as Arts and Science Week or Engineering Week, in that this event has participants from several different schools and colleges.