News

Anne will primarily write In Brief articles that highlight recently published papers in the journal. The In Briefs are targeted at scientists who browse the journal and want to read a summarized version of a study.
February 17, 2020
The CAMTA system - which is known to protect plants from cold weather - plays a newly discovered role: when bacteria invade a leaf, CAMTA warns neighboring, unaffected leaves to prepare for invasion.
February 11, 2020
When algae get stressed, they hibernate and store energy in forms that we can use to make biofuels. Understanding how stress impacts algal hibernation could help scientists lower the cost of biofuels production.
February 3, 2020![Insect bites + Warmer climate = Double trouble for plants [VIDEO]](/sites/_prl/cache/file/29EBA14D-809E-4D2C-9E16BEE8B730167F_newslisting.jpg)
Recent models are telling us that, as our climate warms up, pests will cause more damage to crops. But these models do not factor how infested plants react to rising temperatures. If we do, plants may suffer a worse fate.
January 20, 2020![Taming electrons with bacteria parts and a little 'blood' - a new synthetic biology system [VIDEO]](/sites/_prl/cache/file/CB230C2C-F23F-40F2-8BC22F2085C404EB_newslisting.jpg)
When electrons move, they are the electricity that powers life. But they are hard to pin down. The newly engineered system could guide electron transfer over long distances, powering future applications in medicine or 'green' fuel production.
January 15, 2020![[LINK] Sheng Yang He featured in National Geographic](/sites/_prl/cache/file/80D894A7-55C0-4C41-BE8155167EC43032_newslisting.jpg)
The article revolves around an exhibit at the Harvard Museum of Natural History on our food supply’s vulnerability to plant disease, using an unconventional conduit: early 20th-century glass models of rotting fruit.
January 10, 2020
Berkley Walker's DNA synthesis proposal has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, a DOE Office of Science User Facility, to study how high temperatures impact plant enzymes that support photosynthesis.
January 8, 2020
For decades, scientists have unsuccessfully tried to dial up amino acid production in crops. One roadblock might be the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein, which detects nutrient availability in plant cells in order to control cell growth and metabolism.
December 18, 2019
Chase Lindeboom and Hainite Tuitupou will earn stipends in support of their education and will officially receive their awards at banquet which will take place in April 2020.
December 11, 2019![Chasing order beyond the realm of the visible: a new tool tidies up molecules at the nano level [VIDEO]](/sites/_prl/cache/file/1681390F-9F55-4770-954B6FCC6DB01250_newslisting.jpg)
A protein from cyanobacteria has been redesigned into a homing beacon to attract molecular payloads. The long-term goal: to organize resources inside living cells for medical or industrial applications.
December 9, 2019
The honor, bestowed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recognizes members for extraordinary achievements in advancing science.
November 26, 2019
The Highly Cited Researchers list, compiled by Clarivate Analytics, includes scientists who have been most cited by peers over the past decade. In 2019, fewer than 0.1% of the world's researchers have earned this exclusive distinction.
November 21, 2019
Cheryl Kerfeld will lead a team of five research groups in a $3.4 million NSF Understanding the Rules of Life grant to engineer a synthetic cell. The aim is to tackle two key science and engineering research areas: building a synthetic cell and epigenetics.
November 7, 2019
The award recognizes the best doctoral dissertation in the plant sciences at Michigan State University over the last two years.
October 24, 2019
The new gene family helps control carbon dioxide fixation, which is the first step towards making high-energy molecules that feed the planet's organisms.
September 30, 2019![[LINK] Grad student, Anastasiya Lavell, talks mentoring and chloroplasts on Impact 89FM](/sites/_prl/cache/file/4FA7FB9A-4C09-4458-A5A00655B85E4B65_newslisting.jpg)
The Benning lab student was a guest on The Sci-Files podcast, where she addressed her research on a protein that seems to be important for lipid regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplasts.
August 27, 2019
The post-doc from the He lab was will incorporate her “Strategic Career Management” ideas - the path to become the most attractive candidate for one's dream job - into the program.
August 1, 2019
The title, among the highest honors that can be bestowed by the university, is for faculty who are recognized nationally and internationally for the importance of their teaching, research, and outreach achievements.
July 22, 2019
Marine algae, the evolutionary ancestors of plants, could have hitched a ride with fungi to make it onto dry land.
July 17, 2019
High levels of photosynthetic productivity can dangerously alter a plant cell's chemical balance. GPT2 is a sort of 'brake' that helps recycle and store extra resources that are produced during those times.
July 9, 2019