Ten Research Facts About Mizzou
With more than six times the research capacity of any public university in the state, the University of Missouri-Columbia is Missouri’s leader in innovation and discovery. Learn more at our research website: www.research.missouri.edu, or call (573) 882-9500.
MU’s research has a $440 million economic impact on Missouri and supports more than 9,000 jobs. n MU totalled close to $248 million in research and MU scientists are also discovering treatments, and potential cures, for a host of other major diseases.
1
2
n MU researchers have developed genetic therapy development spending last year. Our work in the techniques that restore normal muscle function in life sciences was of particular note: In the previous mice with symptoms of muscular dystrophy, and fiscal year MU and Washington University together are working to perfect immunotherapy techniques accounted for some 90 percent of all university life that could potentially prevent the onset of Type I sciences research in Missouri.* diabetes. n A recent economic analysis n MU researchers have discovered a estimated that MU’s annual receptor protein associated with chronic Why Should You Care research expenditures inflammation, one that could play a About Research at Mizzou? supported some 9,000 jobs key role in the battle against arthritis, and resulted in close to $440 cancer, stroke, diabetes and other lifeMU researchers are advancing the million in economic activity. threatening illnesses. frontiers of human knowledge, n Losing MU’s research n MU researchers have developed enterprise would be “transgenic pigs,” among them swine making discoveries that contribute equivalent to losing 20 with organs that could one day be to the health and well-being of companies with revenues of transplanted into humans, and pigs that millions of people in the U.S. and $10 million each — revenue produce omega-3 fatty acids, which around the world. that would go to other states are known to improve heart function with research universities. and may help reduce the risk of heart disease. MU research innovations and n A veterinary medical researcher technological breakthroughs lead MU researchers are helping at MU has developed an implant to to economic growth and more jobs thousands of critically ill repair knee joint degeneration. The patients by developing tools to for Missourians. treatment has allowed crippled dogs to diagnose and treat cancer. walk and is currently being evaluated in human clinical trials. Another vet MU research experiences give students n MU researchers, utilizing med scientist has successfully implanted the University’s one-ofthe skills they need to succeed in sight-saving retinal microchips in cats, a a-kind Research Reactor, our knowledge-based economy. development that could one day prevent are international leaders in blindness in people with retinitis the development of radiopigmentosa. pharmaceutical drugs and
diagnostic tools used to battle cancer.
3
n MU nuclear scientists have invented a number of
critical cancer therapies, among them: Therasphere® for liver cancer; Quadramet® for bone cancer pain; and CeratecTM for brain imaging to diagnose stroke, Alzheimer’s Disease, and other conditions. n Scientists at the reactor, supported by a new public-private partnership, have recently obtained a cyclotron. The machine, a type of particle accelerator, will allow MU to supply a much-needed isotope to area medical centers for use in diagnosing and treating cancer and heart disease.
* Based on the most recent comparative data from the National Science Foundation.
4
MU researchers are working to curb youth violence on our streets and in our schools. n Education and psychological researchers at MU
have developed a treatment for antisocial behavior in youths that is being used in 25 states and eight foreign countries. n MU researchers have helped identify practices that can reduce violence in public schools. So far they have implemented these in more than 200 schools to improve school safety and boost academic achievement.
5
MU scientists are improving the lives of the elderly, both here in Missouri and throughout the nation. n Researchers at MU’s Interdisciplinary Center on
Aging are developing new technologies for long-term care facilities, improving nursing homes and using exercise therapy to keep older adults active and vital. n TigerPlace, a facility that MU helped create, combines cutting-edge technology and current research to enable older adults to continue living there, even if their health care needs increase, a practice called “aging in place.” n MU researchers have developed a 30-item instrument to help Missouri consumers, regulators and others judge the quality of care in nursing homes. n MU exercise research is keeping older adults independent longer and developing approaches for better managing the process of aging.
8
MU researchers are advancing the efficiency and profitability of agriculture in Missouri. n MU plant scientists are using genetic research to
improve crop yields by developing plants that better tolerate drought, floods, disease and pests. Their discoveries are being used worldwide, saving growers and consumers millions of dollars each year. n Mizzou has long been a world leader in animal reproductive biology. For example, to encourage a broader adoption of the latest technologies, the Show-Me Select Replacement Heifer Program has enrolled more than 600 Missouri commercial beef farms. The value of the program — based on actual receipts at livestock auctions — is more than $17 million. n MU’s Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership is a global training ground for agricultural cooperative CEOs. The cooperative has been used as a business model to provide utilities for rural America, run farm supply businesses, and more recently, operate such thriving food businesses as Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., and Blue Diamond Growers.
6
MU researchers are inventing revolutionary new technologies to improve the health of both people and our planet.
n Biological physicists at MU received nearly $5 million from the National Science Foundation to study how human tissue “self-assembles” as the body matures. Their investigation is yielding insights into how the process of “organ printing” could one day produce replacement organs for ill patients.
9
MU is a national leader in promoting both graduate and undergraduate research. n Mizzou excels at engaging students in research.
The National Science Foundation has recognized MU as one of the nation’s top ten universities for successfully integrating research into undergraduate education. n Students who participate in real-world research experiences gain critical-thinking skills and intellectual independence—tools crucial for success in today’s knowledge-based economy. n Research also helps students financially. Recent calculations show that 2,500 undergraduates received some $4 million, and 1,200 graduate students were paid close to $9 million in annual stipends drawn from externally sponsored research projects at MU.
n MU scientists, with support of the Florida-based
Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, are developing a device that uses sound waves to more accurately and quickly detect melanoma, a potentially deadly skin cancer. n MU researchers and the Midwest Research Institute are designing an improved natural gas tank for use in next-generation, ultra-low-emission automobiles. Their goal is to turn methane from landfills into a renewable energy source.
7
MU research findings are making significant contributions to the nation’s defense. n MU researchers and the U.S. Navy are developing
new tools to identify and disrupt international terrorist networks. n The National Geospatial Intelligence agency is partnering with MU scientists who have expertise in satellite and airborne remote sensing systems to better gather and decipher military intelligence. n Mizzou researchers are discovering efficient sources of energy using nanoscale particles. An MU scientist has received a $10 million Department of Defense contract to develop the technology, which could lead to next-generation weapons systems. n MU engineers are helping ground-penetrating radar systems reduce “false detections” from clutter, thus improving their ability to locate buried land mines.
10 n Last year, MU filed 45 patent applications for new
inventions. Since 2000, 30 start-up companies have launched based on MU faculty expertise. n An MU surgery professor has invented a new drug to treat ulcers and acid reflux disease. Licensed to Santarus, a California company, “Zegerid” has received FDA approval and is poised to capture a large share of a multi-billion dollar market. n Another MU scientist has developed a new therapy that could greatly enhance Type I diabetes treatments. Allied Minds, a corporate sponsor, has invested $1 million in “pre-seed” money to form a company that will market the research.
MU’s research is helping to create important new products, and the companies to market them.