Two Mizzou professors are doing fascinating work to understand the origins of life – from a worm.

Jim Schiffbauer, associate professor, and Tara Selly, assistant research professor, are using the Zeiss micro-CT in the X-Ray Microanalysis Core facility to analyze the oldest known gut from a worm that lived more than 550 million years ago.

I visited their lab in the Department of Geological Sciences along with College of Arts & Science Dean Cooper Drury, Associate Dean for Research Tim Glass and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs John Middleton.

In addition to their research, Profs. Schiffbauer and Selly educate and train students ranging from high schoolers to postdoctoral fellows.

I’m so proud of them and their work, which is a strong example of MizzouForward, our $1.5 billion long-term investment strategy to expand and sustain research excellence at MU.

— Mun