Plant Resilience Institute

Join us for the next webinar in the “Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines” series on Dec 5 at 8 am PT. Duncan Ryan from Los Alamos National Laboratory will be talking about quantum ghost imaging in plants. Register: https://lnkd.in/g3ytgThg Date: December 5, 2024 Time: 8 am PT/ 9 am MT/ 10 am CT/ 11 am ET? Speaker: Dr. Duncan Ryan Talk Title: Observing plants in silence: quantum ghost imaging for plant physiology Abstract: Most of the tools we have for imaging biological samples involve intense light sources. Light sensitive processes can be affected or disrupted by the mere process of measuring a sample. Absorption microscopy in the infrared, for example, indicates the presence of specific chemical species like water or lignocellulose, but scientists typically need bright light sources to overcome the noise intrinsic to infrared detectors. Quantum light offers new measurement methods that can overcome noise and enable imaging at extremely low light levels. With quantum ghost imaging, we can image plants with less light than they experience under starlight, ensuring metabolic and photosynthesis processes are not altered during imaging and that our observations reflect natural responses. I will discuss this new method and its application in the biological sciences.?

Dr. Olivia Wilkins is leading the Canadian team of C-SPIRIT, the new National Science Foundation (NSF) Global Center to explore sustainable solutions for agriculture, in collaboration with researchers from PRI and other institutions across the globe! ??

Boost your career with this resume booster! Michigan State University will be hosting again our annual Plant Genomics REU program in Summer 2025. Check out our flyer and website for more information and application guidelines.

C-SPIRIT, the new Michigan State University National Science Foundation (NSF) Global Center, is hiring a project administrator to coordinate the center activities within the U.S. team and across the five partner countries! ?? Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/enPUS_zH C-SPIRIT (Center for Sustainable Plant Innovation and Resilience through International Teamwork) addresses the critical challenge of stabilizing global food production amid unpredictable weather patterns.?It brings together experts from the United States, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. Become a part of this interdisciplinary, international team to explore sustainable solutions for agriculture!

Researchers at Michigan State University, including Plant Resilience Institute faculty member Dr. Christine Sprunger, weigh in on critical issues and policies impacting the environment that will be influenced by the 2024 #election. Read their expert advisory here: https://lnkd.in/geVSXrZz

The new Michigan State University National Science Foundation (NSF) Global Center, C-SPIRIT, is hiring a Project/Event Coordinator! Become a part of this interdisciplinary, international research center to explore sustainable solutions for agriculture! ???? Apply now ?? https://lnkd.in/g7TXwYqu C-SPIRIT (Center for Sustainable Plant Innovation and Resilience through International Teamwork) addresses the critical challenge of stabilizing global food production amid unpredictable weather patterns. One of the primary missions of C-SPIRIT is to engage industry and agricultural stakeholders, ensuring that the developed solutions are practical, scalable, and adopted widely. A particular focus on public engagement and technology adoption aims to build trust and facilitate the widespread implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. The successful applicant will be a highly motivated, organized, and creative person to coordinate the outreach and stakeholder engagement activities to advance this mission.

Happy Halloween! MSU's Plant Biology Conservatory and Herbarium are home to some of the spookiest plants around, jack-o-lanterns notwithstanding. Learn more about the creepiest plants, grown right on campus: https://buff.ly/3Ax3Uvv

Members of the Plant Resilience Institute helped break ground today for the Plant and Environmental Sciences Building (PESB)! This state-of-the-art facility will advance Michigan State University's global leadership in plant science while fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. PRI will call PESB home when construction is completed at the end of 2026.

Why do plants grow in different places? How do they adapt to different environments? And what makes them different species? Listen to PRI Associate Director Dr. David Lowry discuss the Monkeyflower mystery on the Tumble Science Podcast for Kids: https://lnkd.in/gfJDyXbB ????

Join Plant Resilience Institute faculty member Addie Thompson for the World Food Prize Foundation 2024 Borlaug Dialogue! ???Dr. Thompson is a Global Youth Institute alum, and she will be speaking on the main stage October 31st! #FoodPrize24 | Register: https://lnkd.in/gm4EKq8 The 2024 Borlaug Dialogue, hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation, will take place October 29-31, 2024, in person in Des Moines, IA, and online. This year's thematic framework emphasizes the vital role of integrating past wisdom, current innovations and the pressing needs of tomorrow, by leveraging agricultural technology to address contemporary challenges. It underscores the importance of intergenerational collaboration and diplomatic engagement in achieving sustainable solutions. Dr. Addie Thompson is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University in the Department of Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences and a member of the Plant Resilience Institute. With a focus on genetics and phenomics, Dr. Thompson’s research addresses critical agricultural challenges in maize and sorghum, including nitrogen response, tar spot disease resistance, and predictive modeling for precision agriculture and plant breeding. She obtained her BS in Genetics from Iowa State University, a PhD in Applied Plant Sciences from the University of Minnesota, and conducted postdoctoral research at Purdue University in field-based phenomics and quantitative genetics. She is also an alumnus of the World Food Prize Youth Institute, and a former Borlaug-Ruan International Intern (IRRI, 2003). At MSU, Dr. Thompson has led a successful plant phenomics initiative, fostering collaboration between plant scientists, breeders, and computational experts. She teaches graduate plant breeding, as well as courses at the intersection of computational and plant sciences that connect with industry and stakeholders to prepare students for a rapidly evolving field.