My name is Kara Headley, and I am the new communications manager for the DOE-MSU Plant Research Laboratory (PSL) and the Molecular Plant Sciences program (MPS). I am very much looking forward to diving into this role and this community.

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. 

Sudden death syndrome is a devastating disease that afflicts soybean crops, causing annual losses in U.S. soybean yields in excess of $274 million dollars. New Michigan State University research shows that the trick to surviving the disease might be a matter of timing when to mount a defense response.

A new study from Michigan State University identifies a missing link which controls plant immunity and plants’ ability to maintain their cytoskeleton – the frame that both gives plant cells their shape and that serves as a highway for materials to move inside these cells.

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.

The grant will fund research examining plant responses to environmental threats and an outreach program designed to educate the general public on plant research.

Over 500 participants experienced the world of plants and algae through family-friendly science and art activities where they learned about plant medicinal benefits and industrial applications and interacted with MSU scientists.

The program, one of the country’s most prestigious and competitive awards for graduate students, directly supports graduate students in various science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.