News

Brandon Rohnke, a graduate student in the Montgomery lab, reflects on his recent trip to the U.S. Capitol to meet with the staff of seven legislators.
March 6, 2019
Our students were part of a MSU team that met with staff at the offices of Senator Peters, Senator Stabenow, Representative Slotkin and four other representatives to advocate for science funding.
February 21, 2019
The new synthetic biology tools allow to produce both terpenoids and oil, a biofuel resource, in plant leaves.
February 20, 2019
Recently, our own Berkley Walker was recorded skiing across campus on the eve of a polar vortex. That recording went viral. Read why he thinks plants are even hardier than he was that day.
February 14, 2019
New research reveals a protein, TGNap1, that supports the poorly-understood Trans-Golgi Network in structure, function, and motion. The study also provides evidence for microtubule-driven organelle movement, a new line of thought in plant science.
January 29, 2019
The Kende award recognizes the best doctoral dissertation in the plant sciences at Michigan State University over the last two years.
January 17, 2019![[LINK] How do you grow plants in space? Michigan State researchers are on the case](/sites/_prl/cache/file/A873B302-C1CA-4BC5-A107BFCA635FFA5D_newslisting.jpg)
A Lansing State Journal story features Dr. Brandizzi, Evan Angelos, a fourth-year doctoral student, Starla Zemelis-Durfee, Brandizzi lab manager, and their research on how plants grow in and respond to stressful environments.
January 3, 2019![[LINK] New report says Howe and He among most highly cited researchers](/sites/_prl/cache/file/6EE5AF67-123D-4E5F-8BB2423BA41A26FF_newslisting.jpg)
For the fifth year in a row, the faculty members have been recognized in the Highly Cited Researchers List, an annual compilation of the global leaders in scientific influence by Clarivate Analytics.
December 17, 2018![[VIDEO] How bacteria organize their factories, and what it means for a bioeconomy](/sites/_prl/cache/file/DDFA0BA7-1324-4AFD-8E9E7BD06598E44E_newslisting.jpg)
MSU scientists report how cyanobacteria line up their CO2-fixing factories within them in a system that works like Velcro. The research is part of an effort to control and repurpose these factories to make products for human consumption.
December 6, 2018![[LINK] Federica Brandizzi named AAAS fellow](/sites/_prl/cache/file/D4821518-695A-4765-94385E9A05CD4416_newslisting.jpg)
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has recognized Dr. Brandizzi for her work on the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus, organelles pivotal to food production in plant cells.
November 27, 2018![[LINK] Cheryl Kerfeld: Inspired by nature](/sites/_prl/cache/file/DE0E3CC1-A32A-4176-A84E7C26E5F89281_newslisting.jpg)
Cheryl Kerfeld is the Hannah Distinguished Professor of Structural Bioengineering in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory.
November 20, 2018
The new methods let scientists assemble the factories on demand and insert custom molecules inside them for further processing. The aim is to eventually design sustainable medical, industrial, or energy applications.
November 7, 2018
Castroverde, a post-doc in the He lab who researches how climate conditions influence plant defense responses, has won a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship.
November 5, 2018
We are saddened that Jonathan Walton passed away on October 18, 2018 after a brief illness.
October 23, 2018
Can plants defend and grow simultaneously? The answer could help us understand natural ecosystems or help farmers increase yields without increasing dependence on pesticides.
October 22, 2018
A new study identifies 111 peroxisomal proteins, including six newly identified ones, in dark-treated plants. It is part of an effort to fully map the functions of plant peroxisomes.
October 1, 2018
When facing drought or heat stress, roots are advance scouts that warn the rest of the plant to prepare for the big 'hit.'
September 25, 2018
A multi-university study reveals how plant communication systems respond to threats from herbivores. Once wounded, plants use calcium signals to warn distant tissues of future attacks.
September 24, 2018
The recent PRL alumnus from the Howe lab will train students, maintain facilities, and teach classes on analytical chemistry and lab equipment usage.
September 20, 2018
Dr. Walker is a broadly-trained biochemist and biologist who focuses on resolving photosynthetic fluxes from cellular to canopy scales.
September 17, 2018