Michigan State University has one of the world's highest concentrations of plant scientists and leads in all areas of plant science research and education. The MPS graduate program brings together the breadth and depth of MSU faculty who apply diverse methods to study photosynthetic organisms.
Plants support most life on earth. They are the foundation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and provide essential services and materials to people.
Molecular plant scientists study the genetic, biophysical, and biochemical processes that plants use to capture solar energy and use it to biosynthesize food, fuel, wood and paper, textiles, and pharmaceuticals. Fundamental molecular plant science knowledge is critical for:
The team, which included three MPS labs, participated at the International Genetically Engineered Machines competition, which brings together students from around the world to design synthetic biology solutions for some of humanity’s toughest problems.
The MSU lab of Cheryl Kerfeld has developed a new method to manipulate miniature factories found in bacteria that could someday lead to new medical, industrial or energy applications.
A seminar series that incorporates the broad research interests across the molecular plant sciences program runs on Mondays at 4p.
Monday Seminar Series
Identifying novel mechanisms that regulate circadian clock and defense responses in Arabidopsis