News

Researchers have discovered what bridges two important pieces of cellular machinery in plants

Researchers in the Brandizzi lab have discovered two proteins that work in tandem to control an important response to cell stress

How are astronauts going to grow their food when they’re in space? It’s a question that Michigan State University scientists are asking, and one that they’re growing closer to answering.

In a study published in The Plant Journal, researchers looked at the complex regulation of the storage of cell wall mixed-linkage glucan, or MLG, in sorghum, a crop that’s a promising biofuel feedstock. MLG is a component of the cell wall that is believed to have several biological functions, but its precise role during the vegetative growth of plants is not understood well.

Can seeds sent into space grow better plants on Earth? Federica Brandizzi is a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University and an MSU Research Foundation Professor who wanted to find out.

Researchers from Michigan State University have shed light on the biological puzzle of how plants launch immune responses. Reporting in Nature Communications, the team revealed one protein that plays a key role in mobilizing a plant’s antimicrobial defenses

MSU researchers reveal a biological pathway that could be targeted to breed more resilient crops.

Research from the Brandizzi lab, led by postdoc Naveen Sharma, helps to better characterize the role of carbonic anhydrases in Arabidopsis thaliana, focusing on βCA1 and βCA5.

Allen Trevizo, a recent Michigan State University grad from both the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Genomics & Molecular Genetics undergraduate programs, started his career path with dental school in mind, a far cry from where he is today.

Michigan State University’s renowned plant researchers are collaborating on solutions to grow more abundant, nutritious and resilient plants that will feed a growing population.

PRL faculty member Federica Brandizzi discusses agricultural innovation. The world’s population is growing, and climate change is continuing to impact the crops we need to feed that growing population.

The moon holds answers, and a Michigan State University plant biologist is bringing those answers within reach. Patience, creativity and a cheerful fearlessness are turning insights buried in plant seeds into pathways to the very survival of the human race.

NASA launched a spacecraft this past week that will travel beyond the moon and back … and a piece of Michigan State University is aboard.

Michigan State University and the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, operated by Stanford University, are working to build new microscopes that allow scientists to peer into plant cells like never before.

The Brandizzi Lab at MSU is sending seeds to space aboard NASA’s Artemis I mission to explore how humanity can sustain itself outside of Earth.

In June 2022, plant cell wall researchers from around the world were able to meet in person for the first time in three years at the 9th International Cell Wall Research Conference in East Lansing, Michigan.

As our planet’s climate continues to be unpredictable, understanding how plants respond to adverse environmental conditions becomes essential. Improving crop productivity will be vital to feed the nine billion people estimated to be alive in 2050.

It’s estimated that by 2050, the global population could reach 9 billion. With limited natural resources, feeding, clothing and providing materials to support that many people will be challenging. In Federica Brandizzi’s lab at Michigan State University, she and her colleagues are finding ways to make plants part of the solution.

MSU scientists have developed a new gene discovery method that is helping them to understand how plants recover from stressful situations in their environments.

Four Michigan State University College of Natural Science faculty members – Federica Brandizzi, Joseph S. Krajcik, Robert L. Last, and Kenneth M. Merz, were among 11 MSU faculty members named University Distinguished Professors this year by the MSU Board of Trustees in honor of their achievements in research, teaching and mentoring, and community engagement.

Kaylie Barton, a recently graduated undergraduate student in the lab of Federica Brandizzi, has won first prize at the 2021 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum. Kaylie was recognized for her poster presentation in the Plant Sciences category.

Evan Angelos and Hainan Zhao were recognized during a ceremony which took place online on Monday, April 19, 2021. The Anton Lang Memorial Fund was established in honor of the founding director of the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, who passed away in 1996.

The NRT program at Michigan State University, funded by the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship program, trains doctoral students in applying computational data science approaches to solving problems in plant biology.

Every fungus, plant and animal on earth is dependent on their cells’ endoplasmic reticulum—a three-dimensional organelle of protein producing and folding tubules—to grow and survive. Federica Brandizzi, MSU Foundation Professor in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Lab, is using powerful genomics tools and a $1.95 million NIH grant to understand how it works with the aim of treating diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer more effectively.

With the support of NASA, the lab of Federica Brandizzi has been studying how plants survive in space conditions. A new study starts revealing how a plant system – which helps plants manage various types of Earthly stresses, such as extreme heat – might function in space.

The goal of this year’s fellowship is to provide fellows with real world experience in cloud computing and a good understanding of its capabilities and limitations. 

Scientists have identified new transcription factor networks and their dynamic activities that protect the endoplasmic reticulum in situations requiring the production of large quantities of proteins.

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship is one of the country’s most prestigious and competitive awards for graduate students. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF’s mission.

A new study increases our understanding of the biosynthesis of xyloglucan, one of the most common polysaccharides in plant primary cell walls.