Biological Sciences at Mizzou
An Exhibition Across Two Levels of the MU Student Center
On display across both the ground and first levels of the MU Student Center, the Biological Sciences Exhibition celebrates the enduring legacy of scientific innovation, teaching, and discovery at the University of Missouri. Through a rich selection of historical instruments, research materials, and fossil specimens, this two-part exhibition traces how generations of Mizzou biologists have explored life—from the microscopic to the planetary scale.
Ground Level Exhibition: From Teaching Traditions to Nobel Discovery
The ground-level Cases present a historical overview of the Division of Biological Sciences, featuring early laboratory instruments, archival materials, and milestones in research excellence. Together, these objects illustrate how Mizzou’s scientific community has shaped biological education and discovery for more than a century.
One highlight is the section dedicated to Dr. George P. Smith, Curators’ Distinguished Professor Emeritus and recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His groundbreaking invention of phage display revolutionized molecular biology and paved the way for precision molecular imaging techniques that continue to influence cancer research today.
Alongside modern achievements, visitors can also explore early 20th-century teaching tools, such as botanical models, balances, and pharmacological instruments used in classrooms from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, including a delicate model of the Nepenthes pitcher plant and Swiss-made tachometers.
First-Floor Exhibition: The Fossil Record of Discovery
On the first floor, the Square Case Fossil Display highlights the global scope of paleontological research conducted by MU faculty and collaborators during the 1900s. These specimens—drawn from fieldwork across several continents—demonstrate how Mizzou scientists have contributed to our understanding of ancient life. Notably, one collection features paleobotanical specimens from Mohgaonkalan, India, dating from the Late Cretaceous–Paleocene period and originating in the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. Collected and catalogued by Prof. Joseph M. Wood, these fossils—including Enigmocarpon, Rhizopalmoxylon, Cyclanthodendron, Palmoxylon, and Physa prinsepii—reflect MU researchers’ international contributions to paleobotany and their global perspective on evolutionary history.
Curator: Hanxue Zhang
Collections: Missouri Student Unions
Location: Ground level of the Student Center G210
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