MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory
LightNews LightNews
banner
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory
@msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
100 followers 31 following 82 posts
Research institute at Michigan State University funded by the DOE Office of Science.
Plant science driving innovation.
prl.natsci.msu.edu
Posts Replies Media Videos
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
There is a new director at the PRL- and more! Check out all of the interesting things happening this week, including the picture of the month and a story about the popularization of the Arabdopsis! Read all about it here: mailchi.mp/msu/prl-news...
Federica Brandizzi, the new Director of the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory Members of the SWEET team, (from left) Mitchell Ticoras, Lucas Reist, Angel Indibi, and Luke Sharpe, used research gathered for a collegiate tech entrepreneurship to author a manuscript on genetic engineering plants to produce valuable chemicals to enhance the economics of biofuel production. The Plant Biology conservatory tropical greenhouse photographed on 35mm film. Picture by Joshua Gould.
September 9, 2025 at 3:05 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
We are saddened by the passing of Dr. Andrew D. Hanson. During his time at the PRL, he contributed greatly to advancing our understanding of metabolic pathways and their regulation. He was a generous colleague who supported and encouraged those around him. blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hosdept/2025...
Andrew Hanson
September 8, 2025 at 3:25 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
The development of transgenic grasses with elevated levels of mixed-linkage glucan is being actively pursued worldwide. This, scientists think, may impact soil-carbon processing. Read more about it here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Above and belowground characteristics of the four studied B. distachyon genotypes: wild type (WT), MLG-, (cslf6-1, loss-of-function mutations with low levels of MLG), MLG+(CSLF6OX, overexpressing lines with high levels of MLG), and MLG2+ (bdlch1-1, lacking MLG hydrolase with high levels of MLG): (A) Plant dry biomass (mg) and root characteristics, i.e., total root length (cm), average root diameter (mm), and root dry biomass (mg). Shown are means, standard errors (error bars), and raw data (points) (n = 8). Different letters mark statistically significant differences among the genotypes (p < 0.05). (B) Representative 6-week old plants. The scale bar represents 5 cm. (C) Representative root images obtained using RhizoVizion with inscribed circles highlighting the portion of the root system where the differences among the genotypes were the greatest.
August 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Jojoba, a desert shrub, has an unusual capacity to store liquid wax esters in its seeds. If that sounds interesting to you, check out this new article published by The Plant Cell! academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
Jojoba seeds growing on a jojoba shrub.
August 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Wood, a resource required around the world; and chemical acetylation might be just what is needed to prevent its decay. Check out this new article and learn more about the methods being tested today: pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Schematic for the acetylated secondary plant cell wall model. The secondary plant cell wall model utilized here is a representative of hardwood species, starting with lignin (brown), hemicellulose (green), and cellulose (blue) solvated in 30% water weight (% WT) and 35.5 mM concentration of Na+. (A) The acetylation treatment involves the deprotonation of exposed hydroxyl groups by acetic anhydride to produce acetyl groups. (B) The moisture content of wood cell walls is reduced as the acetylation level increases (% weight-percent gain (WPG)). (32,35,38,39) (C) Unacetylated cell wall model has been acetylated using two distinct mechanisms, (i) expanded wherein only the acetyl group is added with no other changes yielding an increased box volume and (ii) constant system where acetyl groups directly displace water molecules yielding a relatively consistent box volume.
August 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Since 1978, Arabidopsis has garnered lots of attention. This is because of researchers around the world, whose published papers on Arabidopsis grew from a handful in 1978 to over 100,000+ entries. Check out the story here to learn more: natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
The Somerville lab during the 1987 International Conference on Arabidopsis Research.
August 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
From Paris, to Alberta, to Lansing MI, Chris and Shauna Somerville have traveled the world to research their passions. Their journey led them to @MSU, where their research on Arabidopsis would influence the lives of thousands. Read more about their story here:
natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
Chris Somerville in the greenhouses at Michigan State University. Shauna Somerville at her bench in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory.
August 20, 2025 at 3:05 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
This summer, the Vermaas lab hosted Rosie Carter as a part of the REU program! She presented her research at the 2025 MidSURE research symposium.
Rosie Carter presents her research.
August 13, 2025 at 3:10 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Have you heard? Undergrads are participating in summer research, fueling future bioeconomy. Check out how these 21 students are developing new and innovative ways to combat weather extremes being put on agricultural production:
natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
The 2025 Plant Genomics REU cohort with their mentors.
August 12, 2025 at 3:09 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Robust and reproducible plant culture systems are essential for studying physiological, molecular, and developmental responses under controlled conditions. Current Protocols has published an article going more in depth about this topic: currentprotocols.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
plit-root hydroponic system using a 96-well pipette tip box platform for differential nutrient treatment. (A) Schematic overview of the split-root experimental procedure employing the modular hydroponic setup. (B) Twenty-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana plants (DAG 20) were carefully removed from the initial growth system, and their root systems were gently divided into two equal halves using sterile forceps. Each root half was then transferred into separate tip boxes containing either phosphate-sufficient (+P) or phosphate-deficient (–P) nutrient solutions. Aluminum foil was folded and shaped into a stable support stand, with custom perforations to securely hold the PCR tubes in an upright position, thereby maintaining root orientation and ensuring contact with the respective medium. This setup enables spatially distinct nutrient treatments while preserving a unified shoot, facilitating the investigation of local versus systemic signaling responses.
August 7, 2025 at 3:06 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
In Arabidopsis, salicylic acid biosynthesis occurs predominantly through the isochorismate synthase (ICS) route. Check out more in this recently published article by Nature titled "Deciphering phenylalanine-derived salicylic acid biosynthesis in plants"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Quantification of benzoyl-CoA (a) and BA (b) in leaves from two-week-old wild-type (ZH11) and cnl mutant rice by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Values were normalized to fresh weight. Data are mean ± s.d. (n = 3 biologically independent samples). Statistical significance was determined by two-tailed Student’s t-tests. c, Gene co-expression analysis to identify peroxisomal protein-encoding genes that are highly co-expressed with OsCNL1. The plot shows the top 2,000 genes that are co-expressed with OsCNL1, each represented as a dot (data source: ATTED-II; https://atted.jp/). The dot-to-pentagram distance scales inversely with bait gene co-expression strength. d, Subcellular localization of YFP–OsBEBT. Confocal microscopy images show the co-localization of YFP–OsBEBT and the peroxisome marker CFP–SKL in N. benthamiana leaf epidermis. The region outlined in magenta is enlarged and displayed on the right.
August 6, 2025 at 2:03 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
New pathways in toxic chemicals, a retirement, and an incredible new photo of the month! Check it all out and more here in the news:
mailchi.mp/msu/prl-news...
Thomas Sharkey smiling for the camera 1st Great Lakes Plant Science Conference (GLPSC2025), taking place September 12-14, 2025, at the Lansing Center in Lansing, MI! “The Grizzly Giant is a giant sequoia and the oldest tree Yosemite National Park.”
August 5, 2025 at 4:05 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Farmer's are looking to grow more successful crops- and a newly discovered pathway in a plant process could be just the thing they're looking for. Learn more here:
natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
Corn crop with a spot of bright sunlight peeking through the tall stalks.
July 23, 2025 at 2:05 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
The Plant Journal has published a new piece titled "Through the lens of bioenergy crops: advances, bottlenecks, and promises of plant engineering" Check it out here to learn more!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Roadmap of the integrated tools advancing bioenergy crop improvement.
July 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
We recently had the honor to celebrate with Tom Sharkey as he begins his retirement. Tom spent 51 years in the plant sciences, maintaining a robust research program while teaching and mentoring young scientists. Read more about his career: natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
A cake that has the Michigan State University logo and text reading Happy Retirement Dr. Sharkey! Two men shake hands A group of people talking A group of people talking
July 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
An endless thank you to Professor Thomas D. Sharkey for his 51 years of research, teaching, and collaboration. As he heads into retirement, we wanted to recognize how his efforts have made a resounding impact on the world of science. Read here for more on his legacy:
natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
Thomas D. Sharkey with former lab member, Sarathi Weraduwage.
July 9, 2025 at 2:11 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Looking for a story? Well, have we got you covered! Check out the latest news from the Plant Research Laboratories!
mailchi.mp/msu/prl-news...
Paramecium bursaria in endosymbiosis with microalgae, as seen under a microscope. Tom Sharkey measures the rate of photosynthesis and isoprene being released by a soybean plant. Researchers pose with a drone used to monitor vegetation composition from above.
July 8, 2025 at 3:06 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Check out this video representation of the protein human cis-Prenyltransferase (h-cisPT) as it binds itself to a membrane. This ensures that that the protein is oriented properly, allowing it to do its job properly. Watch the visualization at this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwja...
A graphic of the protein called human cis-Prenyltransferase (h-cisPT) as it binds itself to a membrane.
July 3, 2025 at 3:03 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Congratulations to Duncan Boren, a fourth-year graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, for receiving the Keegstra and Thomashow Travel Award! Read more about his accomplishment here:
natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
Duncan Boren stands in front of a brick building and a lush green tree, posing with a smile for the camera.
July 2, 2025 at 2:32 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Something new is brewing...
A new project is underway that could help researchers have a better understanding of an important piece of Earth’s evolutionary history. Check out this article by Kara Headley here:
natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
Paramecium bursaria in endosymbiosis with microalgae, as seen under a microscope.
June 27, 2025 at 3:06 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Check out this article about soybeans and their cryptic emission of isoprene!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Superimposed 3D structures of consensus ISPS proteins of Fabaceae (orange ribbon) and non-Fabaceae (blue ribbon) family reveals a distinct loop in the Fabaceae ISPS.
June 20, 2025 at 2:13 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Some plants make their own pesticide — but at what cost to the atmosphere? Tom Sharkey and his lab have published findings that could provide a path for engineering plants that are more resilient to environmental change and pest outbreaks. Check out more here:
msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/so...
Tom Sharkey stands and smiles for the camera. He is standing beside a computer, as well as standing in front of a large plant within his lab.
June 19, 2025 at 3:07 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
What's this? New research shows that directionally challenged proteins lead to eye and neurological disease? If you'd like to know more, read all about the research here:
natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...
"h‐cisPT is thought to assemble into a tetrameric complex of two heterodimers (PDB: 7PB1), combining DHDDS together with NgBR. As each heterodimer within the tetramer is identical, we are focusing our simulation efforts on a single heterodimer, represented here in darker shades of blue and green. Recent structures have also had prenyl substrate present, in this case GGS (Giladi et al. 2022), represented here with spheres for the resolved heavy atoms (gray for carbon, red for oxygen, yellow for sulfur, and brown for phosphorus)." -Protein Sciences, when describing this figure.
June 18, 2025 at 2:17 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
New research! Interested in how volatile isoprenoids improve plant thermotolerance? Check out this article for more details!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A graphic detailing the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in plants and main chemical structures.
June 17, 2025 at 3:06 PM
msudoeplantlab.bsky.social
Read all about it! Check out the latest news from the Plant Research Laboratory:
mailchi.mp/msu/prl-news...
Christoph Benning stands holding a tray of plants, giving us a glimpse into all of the phenomenal work he has completed. "Photosynthetic sea slugs (Elysia crispata) in a beaker." A graphic promoting GLPSC 2025 with a background image of blurred leaves and an outline of the Great Lakes, featuring a QR code and the logos of the 10 organizing universities. The text says, "1st Great Lakes Plant Science Conference, September 12-14, 2025, the Lansing Center, Lansing, MI. Registration Open! Research.msu.edu/glpsc2025, Abstract submissions and travel grant applications are due by April 30, 2025! Organized by 10 universities around the Great Lakes to push the boundaries of plant science, promote collaborations, and empower the next-generation plant science leaders. Hosted by Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute."
June 5, 2025 at 3:07 PM