Congressional staffers see plant science in action

Researchers at the Michigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, or PRL, hosted staffers from eight of Michigan’s U.S. House of Representatives and Senate offices earlier this month on August 6th. 

“As scientists, we don’t always get the chance to think about how legislators interact with research, but policy and research are inextricably linked with the power to make a huge societal impact,” said Amanda Koenig, postdoctoral researcher. She is interested in a career in science policy and was an on-site coordinator for the visit alongside graduate student Mitchell Ticoras.

The PRL visit was one stop on a biennial tour of federally funded research facilities across the state. It was organized by the government relations offices of the four member universities of Research Universities For Michigan, or RU4M: MSU, Michigan Technological University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University. Together, these universities advocate for the innovative work being done at Michigan’s four R1 research universities.

As Congress crafts the federal budget for the 2026 fiscal year, legislators are weighing the current administration’s spending priorities, which include significant cuts to financial support for research, and how these priorities align with the needs of their states and constituents. The RU4M tour provides Congressional offices with the opportunity to experience, first-hand, the impact that research in Michigan has on sustainability, health, technology, manufacturing, nutrition and bioenergy, as well as to see how federal funding directly powers that research and impacts communities across Michigan.

Gathered in the Anton Lang conference room, named for the founding director of the PRL, Koenig and Ticoras welcomed the delegation with a short introduction about the origins and history of the PRL, its long-standing legacy in partnership with the Department of Energy since 1965 and the broad, collaborative scope of the current research program.

Then Cody Keilen, the growth chamber facility manager, guided the group through a portion of his facility. He highlighted how indirect costs enable the economical operation of over 200 growth chambers, which facilitate adaptive and dynamic research. 

Staffers then joined MSU researchers in two lab expos housed in the Ducat and Sharkey labs. Volunteers across PRL research groups demonstrated technology invented or mastered here, like the Environmental Photobioreactors and LI-CORs. This emphasizes the wide-spanning applications of PRL expertise across lineages from model organisms such as cyanobacteria, algae and plants, to crop species like tomato and soybean. 

Ethan Thibault, a graduate student in the Brandizzi lab, spoke with staffers about how outreach and community engagement are core tenets at the PRL. 

“The PRL has so many great people doing remarkable things, who go out of their way to share scientific advancements out of a pure and genuine desire to reach community members here and around the globe,” Thibault said. “This [RU4M visit] is a really great way to plead the case for science, to show why we care so deeply and why you should care too.”

Staffers were particularly interested in how scientists balance and leverage collaboration and competition, and about how plant scientists communicate with growers and MSU Extension to maximize the impact of research. 

“Many of the staffers were curious about what specifically drew us to work at MSU and the PRL,” Ticoras said. “For a lot of us, a big factor was the PRL’s track record of innovation and DOE support, not to mention the phenomenal plant science community that we’re embedded in here at Michigan State.” 

Overall, the Congressional staffers were receptive and impressed by the vigor and tenacity of researchers at the PRL and all the RU4M institutions more broadly. 

Koenig shared a conversation she had with several legislative aids and directors where a visiting staffer said it was reassuring to witness scientists loving what they do with such a deep commitment to the work. 

“I wholeheartedly agreed and shared that scientists will always find a way, as it's our job to tackle big, complicated questions and challenges,” Koenig said. “But our ability to remain dynamic, responsive, flexible and globally competitive depends on access to resources, collaboration and funding.”

Koenig and Ticoras both spoke about how organizing this event was a testament to the enthusiasm and collegiality of the MSU plant science community and everyone’s eagerness to work as a team. 

“All of us realized this was an invaluable opportunity to share why research is worth funding,” Ticoras said. “The work done here is an investment that pays dividends with real life solutions for real people. We’re so proud, but not at all surprised, that this team of faculty, staff, postdocs and grad students came together without hesitation to showcase the accomplishments of the PRL and our MSU plant science peers.” 

Ultimately, it is the research community like what is typified by the PRL which has propelled the United States to be a world leader in science and technology. 

“We’re so grateful that policymakers took the time to see the PRL in action, and we hope that we imparted the indispensable benefits that science provides to Michiganders and Americans alike,” Koenig and Ticoras jointly shared.