Missouri Plant Clinic Names New Lab Director

The clinic keeps serving growers and homeowners year-round, with sample submissions unchanged under new leadership.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Botany

Photograph of a mottled plant leaf in a glass dish on a pale wooden lab bench beside a brass microscope in soft window light. — The University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic has named Peng Tian its new lab director, a role he began in February, keeping sample submissions on schedule. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic has named Peng Tian its new lab director, a role he began in February. Tian came to MU from the University of Florida Plant Diagnostic Center, and the clinic coordinates the daily operations of the laboratory.

Why it matters

The clinic is the state's central resource for identifying plant pests and diseases, and leadership continuity affects how quickly samples from growers and homeowners are processed. The appointment reflects the university's effort to keep its diagnostic capacity staffed as plant health problems in the region evolve.

The announcement is a staffing change rather than a measured capability, so no performance figures, benchmarks, or throughput numbers were reported. The only quantified fact is the clinic's operating history, which dates to 1965.

The players

University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic

The University of Missouri's diagnostic laboratory for identifying plant pests and diseases, serving Missourians since 1965.

Peng Tian

The new lab director of the clinic, who previously worked at the University of Florida Plant Diagnostic Center and holds a doctorate from the University of Georgia.

University of Florida Plant Diagnostic Center

The plant diagnostic laboratory at the University of Florida where Tian worked before joining the clinic in Missouri.

The details

The Plant Diagnostic Clinic is a laboratory that identifies plant pests and diseases from samples sent in by growers and the public. Tian coordinates the lab's daily operations, while MU Plant Sciences faculty assist with pest identification. Samples can be mailed to the clinic or dropped off in person from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and payment can be made online or by check or money order.

1965: The Plant Diagnostic Clinic began serving Missourians.
February: Peng Tian began as lab director.
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Sample drop-off hours at the clinic.

The Tech Race

Plant diagnostic clinics at land-grant universities such as the University of Missouri and the University of Florida operate as regional nodes for identifying pests and pathogens. The move of a director between two such centers reflects how this network of university labs draws on a shared pool of trained plant pathologists.

Missouri growers, gardeners, and homeowners can continue to send plant samples to the clinic by mail or in person on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with payment accepted online or by check or money order. The source does not indicate any change to fees, turnaround, or submission procedures under the new director.

The takeaway

The clinic's day-to-day service continues under the new director, so sample submission remains open year-round. Readers who need a plant identified can check the clinic's posted submission instructions before sending material.