Interdisciplinary Plant Group - University of Missouri
Welcome to the Interdisciplinary Plant Group at MU
The Interdisciplinary Plant Group is a community of MU faculty, students, and professionals from a range of scientific disciplines who are pursuing novel, creative, and transformative ideas in the field of plant biology. Established in 1981, the IPG provides a supportive, open, and flexible research environment that transcends traditional departmental boundaries, facilitates the sharing of ideas and resources, and creates opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations. The IPG is comprised of 50 faculty-led research teams representing the divisions of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, and Plant Sciences and the departments of Forestry and Computer Science.
Seminars
News
Computers Aid in Cracking Deception in Plants
Jun 29, 2009
IPG member Dmitry Korkin recently received a five-year, $613,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to apply his computational research to the study of molecular mimicry in an important plant pathogen, the soybean cyst nematode.
Too Much of a Good Thing
May 29, 2009
Understanding plants’ overactive immune system will help IPG researchers build better crops
MU Plant Biologists Reap Major Awards for Research
Apr 10, 2009
Three IPG faculty receive awards from American Society of Plant Biologists. Gretchen Hagen and Tom Guilfoyle were awarded the ASPB's Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award. Melvin Oliver was awarded the Fellow of the ASPB Award.
Four IPG Faculty Elected 2008 AAAS Fellows

Four faculty members of the University of Missouri Interdisciplinary Plant Group have been awarded the distinction of Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Eavesdropping on Plant Sex
Like animals, most plants avoid mating with close relatives. But, how plants decide who is a relative has been a mystery to science. New research from MU investigators suggests that this decision-making process is more intricate than previously considered.
Signals for Survival
If plants had brains, they'd be single-minded, indeed. Their mantra would be "survive and reproduce." But plants don't use, or express, many of their genes until absolutely necessary, such as when they are under stress. The ability of genes to hibernate saves precious energy, says IPG member Shuqun Zhang, associate professor of biochemistry. Zhang has recently earned high praise in the scientific community for his studies of the complex internal signals plants send when they are subject to stress, including extreme heat or cold, viruses or ultraviolet light.
Understanding How Plants Bend Toward Blue Light
Plants need light and water to grow. These necessities, however, are not always readily accessible. While plants may not be able to move to a better location, they do have the ability to orient their leaves, stems, and roots to optimize their access to light and water. IPG member Mannie Liscum and his lab are using various genetic approaches to understand how plants bend toward blue light.
About IPG
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Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO 65211
Phone: (573) 884-4144 * Fax: (573) 884-7676 * E-mail: plantgroup@missouri.edu

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