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Anne Rea starts Assistant Features Editor position at The Plant Cell Anne Rea starts Assistant Features Editor position at The Plant Cell

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 Tags: Hu lab, future scientists
Leaf under attack from bacteria? One way plants stop the spread of infection Leaf under attack from bacteria? One way plants stop the spread of infection

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 Tags: Thomashow lab, fundamental research
A protein lulls algae to 'sleep', and what that means for making green fuels A protein lulls algae to 'sleep', and what that means for making green fuels

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 Tags: fundamental research, Benning lab
Insect bites + Warmer climate = Double trouble for plants [VIDEO] Insect bites + Warmer climate = Double trouble for plants [VIDEO]

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 Tags: fundamental research, Howe lab
Taming electrons with bacteria parts and a little 'blood' - a new synthetic biology system [VIDEO] Taming electrons with bacteria parts and a little 'blood' - a new synthetic biology system [VIDEO]

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 Tags: green solutions, Ducat lab
[LINK] Sheng Yang He featured in National Geographic [LINK] Sheng Yang He featured in National Geographic

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 Tags: He lab
Berkley Walker: trying to improve bioenergy crops with 'big picture' math models Berkley Walker: trying to improve bioenergy crops with 'big picture' math models

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 Tags: fundamental research, Walker lab
Identifying a plant cell barrier to breeding more nutritious crops Identifying a plant cell barrier to breeding more nutritious crops

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 Tags: fundamental research, Brandizzi lab
Two PRL undergraduates win Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Departmental awards Two PRL undergraduates win Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Departmental awards

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 Tags: awards, Kramer lab, Benning lab
Chasing order beyond the realm of the visible: a new tool tidies up molecules at the nano level [VIDEO] Chasing order beyond the realm of the visible: a new tool tidies up molecules at the nano level [VIDEO]

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 Tags: Ducat lab, fundamental research
Cheryl Kerfeld named AAAS Fellow Cheryl Kerfeld named AAAS Fellow

The honor, bestowed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recognizes members for extraordinary achievements in advancing science.

November 26, 2019 Tags: awards, Kerfeld lab
Three faculty named 2019 Highly Cited Researchers Three faculty named 2019 Highly Cited Researchers

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 Tags: Howe lab, He lab, Benning lab
Unlikely gathering of scientists generates extraordinary research team, idea - the fat free cell Unlikely gathering of scientists generates extraordinary research team, idea - the fat free cell

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 Tags: awards, Kerfeld lab
Ya-Shiuan Lai wins 2019 Kende Award Ya-Shiuan Lai wins 2019 Kende Award

The award recognizes the best doctoral dissertation in the plant sciences at Michigan State University over the last two years.

October 24, 2019 Tags: Brandizzi lab, awards
Identifying a cyanobacterial gene family that helps control photosynthesis Identifying a cyanobacterial gene family that helps control photosynthesis

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 Tags: fundamental research, Lechno-Yossef, Kerfeld lab
[LINK] Grad student, Anastasiya Lavell, talks mentoring and chloroplasts on Impact 89FM [LINK] Grad student, Anastasiya Lavell, talks mentoring and chloroplasts on Impact 89FM

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 Tags: fundamental research, future scientists, Benning lab
Bethany Huot starts new position at MSU Department of Biological Sciences Bethany Huot starts new position at MSU Department of Biological Sciences

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 Tags: He lab, future scientists
Christoph Benning is named University Distinguished Professor Christoph Benning is named University Distinguished Professor

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 Tags: Benning lab, awards
These algae can live inside fungi. It could be how land plants first evolved. These algae can live inside fungi. It could be how land plants first evolved.

Marine algae, the evolutionary ancestors of plants, could have hitched a ride with fungi to make it onto dry land.

July 17, 2019 Tags: Benning lab, fundamental research
Plants can crash when photosynthesis rates are high. This is one way they slow down. Plants can crash when photosynthesis rates are high. This is one way they slow down.

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 Tags: Weise, Sharkey lab, fundamental research

Top Stories

2023 Anton Lang Memorial Award winners announced 2023 Anton Lang Memorial Award winners announced

Graduate student Hannah Parks and postdoctoral researcher María Santos Merino have been awarded the 2023 Anton Lang Memorial Awards at a ceremony which took place on Monday, April 24, 2023. This year’s lecture was given by University Distinguished Professor Thomas D. Sharkey from Michigan State University.

Beating the heat: Exploring algae's ability to thrive in extreme environments Beating the heat: Exploring algae's ability to thrive in extreme environments

Found in acidic volcanic hot springs, the extremophilic alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae contains a unique process that allows them to survive in extreme environments. Researchers, led by graduate student Anne Steensma from the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, are looking at this process and its potential to change how we understand the ways photosynthetic organisms adapt to environmental challenges like high temperatures. 

Why this promising biofuel crop takes a summer break Why this promising biofuel crop takes a summer break

By explaining a photosynthetic peculiarity in switchgrass, MSU researchers from the Walker lab may have unlocked even more of the plant’s potential.