CAFNR

From athlete to scientist, NIH grant latest feat for researcher

April 29, 2024 By Roger Meissen in #IAmScience, Faces of Science Tags: biochemistry, CAFNR, gary weisman, Kim Jasmer, NIH, Sjögren’s Disease

*Kim Jasmer, assistant research professor of biochemistry, in the lab of Gary Weisman at Bond LSC | photo by Roger Meissen, Bond LSC*

By Sarah Gassel | Bond LSC

In the spring of 2009, Kim Jasmer, a swimmer from the University of Washington, arrived at the University of Missouri for the Missouri Grand Prix, one of a seven-meet series featuring elite swimmers from all over the world. Between swimming her own races and cheering on teammates, Jasmer had another important task on her agenda.

The athlete had scheduled a meeting with the now-retired Mizzou Professor of Biological Sciences, Steve Alexander, to discuss his work investigating genetic mechanisms underlying resistance to chemotherapeutics, topics quite far from her sport. The meeting began a long and sometimes winding road into research at Mizzou while allowing her to continue her swimming career, which ended after the 2012 Olympic Trials.

Jasmer, now an assistant research professor working with Bond LSC’s Gary Weisman, just made another important step down that path. She recently received her first National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant as the principal investigator. The two-year R03 award, which started in March, aims to uncover more information on an important receptor — the P2Y10 receptor — that could play a role in Sjögren’s disease.

“Grants are particularly fun because you get to dream up how you would answer a question,” said Jasmer. “I do like piecing everything together and the creativity of it.”

Sjögren’s disease is a common autoimmune disease that affects millions of Americans. The chronic condition — where immune cells attack and destroy the salivary and lacrimal glands that produce saliva and tears — mainly affects the eyes and mouth, though those with Sjögren’s have a wide range of symptoms.

Swimming in her own lane

Jasmer, who grew up in North Bend, Oregon, was following two of her passions — swimming and molecular and cellular biology — at the University of Washington when she saw Dr. Alexander’s work. She was interested in finding out how grad school at Mizzou could allow her to continue her passions, not just her studies.

“When I was looking at graduate schools, I wanted to keep swimming, so I looked at places where I could do both,” Jasmer said.

She started a biological sciences Ph.D. in 2009, and between hours doing laps and hours in the lab, Jasmer gained endurance in both. Her doctorate focused on cancer research, specifically looking at oxidative stress responses in melanoma, and after receiving the degree in 2015, she joined the lab of Michael Petris as a postdoc studying the influence of copper-dependent enzymes in the formation of tumors.

However, she was also interested in studying the immune system. In 2016, Gary Weisman’s lab — right across the hall from Michael Petris — received a grant for research on Sjögren’s disease and was looking for a postdoc to perform the studies. Knowing her interest in the subject, they approached her about the position. She accepted and began working half-time in each lab, eventually transitioning full-time to studying salivary glands.

“I didn’t start out intending to study salivary glands, but I landed in that community of researchers,” said Jasmer. “It’s a very small and supportive niche of scientists.”

The time since then has seen the Weisman lab learn more and more about the cellular workings of the disease, eventually leading to Jasmer submitting an R03.

The grant marked the first time Jasmer wrote and received an NIH grant independently. Although had previously written NIH grants collaboratively Weisman, this one was composed of her individual ideas, making the award all the more validating. Globally, NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research, and the support an NIH grant provides can get a research project off the ground. But it is also highly competitive — on average, only about 20 percent of NIH grant applications are funded.

“I was kind of in shock because it feels like my career path has been so long, and there’s a lot of rejection that comes with it,” said Jasmer. “When one comes through and works out, it’s very exciting.”

The process of writing a grant is no easy feat, either. There are many questions that must be asked and answered when composing an application. It is not only necessary to propose what the research will potentially reveal but also the process needed to get this information, down to the techniques and analyses that will be used. Essentially, grant writing is akin to a much more complex and scientific version of the board game Clue.

Getting a spot on the podium

Recently, she’s seen her research make an impact in journals with her work being published in the Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research.

Currently, there are no curative therapies for Sjögren’s. Jasmer wants to eventually be able to apply her research to develop solutions. However, she says many questions must first be answered, and additional research must be done before reaching this goal.

“The downstream is that, if everything pans out, the P2Y10 receptor could be a great target, and we can work with the medicinal chemists to identify compounds that could target it and develop a therapy for Sjögren’s,” said Jasmer.

While this goal seems like a far way off, she has also come a long way through her leg of the relay so far.

Jasmer is an assistant research professor of biochemistry – CAFNR, working in the lab of Gary Weisman at Bond LSC. She recently published “Cell type-specific transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in the regulation of salivary gland fibrosis and regeneration,” in the Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research.

Libault returns to Bond LSC as plant scientist with single cell focus

November 13, 2023 By Kiefer, Sarah (MU-Student) in #IAmScience, Faces of Science, Research Tags: CAFNR, Marc Libault, MizzouForward, plant science, single cell biology

A picture of Marc Libault, a new Bond LSC principal investigator and professor of professor of plant science and technology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. — Marc Libault, a new Bond LSC principal investigator and professor of professor of plant science and technology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. | Photo by Sarah Kiefer, Bond LSC

By Sarah Kiefer | Bond LSC

Marc Libault only ended up one floor up from his old stomping ground in his recent move.

Libault — the most recent MizzouForward hire at Bond Life Sciences Center — returned this fall to bring his expertise in plant single cell biology to MU.

“What is exciting about this research is its innovation to generate a new knowledge in crop science; we’re the first group in the world to develop a very broad application of single cell biology in plants,” said Libault, Bond LSC principal investigator and professor of plant science and technology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “I was excited to come back here to continue to work on solutions at the single cell level notably by working in collaboration with experts in proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics at MU.”

Single cell biology is exactly what it sounds like: singling out individual cells in a plant in order to reveal their unique molecular features and mechanisms. This field can help scientists better understand the functions of different genes and proteins.

“If you want to engineer a complex machine such as a car, to enhance its performance you need to first understand the nature and the contribution of each part and how they work together,” Libault said. “In plants, you need to understand how each gene contributes to the biology of the cell and how each cell plays a part in the entire plant before creating meaningful genetic strategies to enhance crop biology. Having this more accurate picture allows us to enhance our current knowledge in plant and cell biology.”

While cutting and chopping are more common descriptors in cooking, researchers in Libault’s lab chop a plant sample in order to isolate the nucleus of the cells to study gene activity. His lab also focuses on spatial transcriptomics, a process that looks at how cells use their genes within the organs they inhabit. If they can understand the contribution of each cell in the plant and how they are interacting with one another, they can grasp how they work together to respond to environmental stressors.

“In society, each individual has unique competences and expertise. They work together to accomplish one goal. That’s similar to cells with unique functions working together in an organs to support its function,” he said.

By pooling this information together, they hope to identify important regulators that control how other genes are expressed then manipulate those molecular chains to see how the plant improves.

Libault is not exactly a newcomer at Mizzou.

Back in 2005, Libault came to MU from Paris, where he grew up. He worked as a postdoc in the Gary Stacey lab until 2011 when he became an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma. He stayed there until 2017 when he moved into an associate professor position at the University of Nebraska. He got his bachelor’s degree from Denis Diderot University in molecular and cellular plant physiology and his master’s degree from Pierre et Marie Curie University in cellular biology and physiology. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular plant physiology from Paris-Saclay University.

But, Libault’s last 20 years of research have been focused on understanding the mechanisms controlling gene activity including the role of epigenetics — the study of how environment and behavior change the way your genes work — helping him tackle questions like “how does the expression or repression of genes change from cell to cell?” This gives him a unique perspective as he learns to recognize the systems behind gene activity and apply that to his work on a single cell level.

The interaction between roots and bacteria is one of the areas of exploration of the Libault lab at the single cell level. In legumes like soybeans, bumps called nodules grow on the plant roots to facilitate the relationship between plant and bacteria. This nodulation gives the bacteria a place to live while it converts atmospheric nitrogen into food for itself and the plant.

“The bacteria capture the atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into a source of nitrogen supply for the plant,” Libault said. “In return, the plant will give sugar to the bacteria, which is why the two help each other.”

Outside of the lab, Libault enjoys watching Formula 1 racing or movies from the ‘70s and ‘80s in his free time. He is also interested in keeping up with French and European news. Although his balance between work and home life can become challenging at times, when things get hectic Libault prioritizes family time with his wife and three teenage boys as they continue to settle into Columbia after a few years apart.

Libault has been able to hit the ground running in his lab because much of his team made the trek south with him from Nebraska in September.

Group picture of the Marc Libault lab members at Bond LSC. — The Marc Libault lab at Bond LSC. From top left to bottom right, Sutton Tennant, master’s student; Marc Libault, Bond LSC principal investigator and professor of plant science and technology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Sahand Amini, postdoctoral fellow; Md Sabbir Hossain, Ph.D. student; Sandra Thibivilliers, research specialist II; Hong Fu, lab technician; and Hengping Xu, postdoctoral fellow. | Photo by Sarah Kiefer, Bond LSC

Libault’s work necessitates collaboration to bring all the pieces together, and that’s what drew him back to MU.

“I know how collaborative the university and the researchers working here are, so that was a strong motivation for me to come back here and continue that kind of collective work,” Libault said. “What we have developed has been highly successful and that’s fun, but what’s next? What more can we learn? This is just the beginning of my next 25 years of research.”

MizzouForward is a transformative, $1.5 billion long-term investment strategy in the continued research excellence of the University of Missouri. Over 10 years, MizzouForward will use existing and new resources to recruit up to 150 new tenure and tenure-track faculty to address some of society’s greatest challenges. Investments also will enhance staff to support the research mission, build and upgrade research facilities and instruments, augment support for student academic success, and retain faculty and staff through additional salary support.