News

An MSU astronomer shares what you need to know for this and other out-of-this-world events on the horizon. 

A new study from MSU shows how soil microbes near the Centralia mine fire could provide clues to help alleviate effects of climate change.

The award is DOE's highest form of employee recognition for achievement.

Thanks to a bit of serendipity and a cooperative spirit, MSU researchers helped uncover a previously unknown way that the microbes living in our gut help our overall health.

MSU research "has the potential to affect every single bag of potato chips around the world.”

A new model bridges the rules of life at the individual scale and the ecosystem level, which could open new avenues of exploration in ecology, global change biology, and ultimately ecosystem management

Spartans lead an international team in making new nuclei and paving the way to new discoveries

Michigan State University researchers have shed new light on the ancient relationship between moss and fungi in a recent paper published in The Plant Journal.

Nobel Prize-winner Professor David MacMillan took part in MSU’s fall commencement festivities as well as several community and received an honorary Doctor of Science.

Kathryn Westby, a fourth-year doctoral student in the Program in Mathematics Education, received an Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from Michigan State University.

A recent publication in Metabolic Engineering authored by MSU researchers looks at how cyanobacteria balance cellular energy between “source and sink,” which may have downstream applications in bioproduction. 

With a team of researchers from Spain, France, and Harvard, researcher Richard Lenski and colleagues used high-throughput genomic methods to analyze the fitness effects of hundreds of thousands of mutations in the E. coli bacteria, and how those effects changed over time as the experiment proceeded.

The MSU Distinguished Student Awards Office has nominated four students for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. 

Empowered by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU) is spearheading a multi-institutional project to construct a next-generation fast-neutron detector unlike any other in the world.

Elizabeth Heath-Heckman, an assistant professor in the College of Natural Science, has received a five-year National Institutes of Health grant from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences totaling $1.9 million to support her research studying the bacteria animals like squid and newts use to protect themselves. This research could provide insights into how humans maintain beneficial bacteria in their gut.

A newly released climate report spearheaded by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, spotlights research conducted by several distinguished Michigan State University scientists.

The facility fully overhauled 3,400 square feet of laboratory to improve day-to-day operations and better enable world-changing life science research at MSU.

The department previously known as Microbiology & Molecular Genetics has updated its name to better reflect the research and education carried out by its students, staff and faculty.

A research team led by MSU scientists has made a biological discovery that could help sorghum become an even more promising biofuel feedstock.

Michigan State University researchers Piotr Piecuch and Guowei Wei were formally recognized as outstanding faculty at an investiture event held by the College of Natural Science.

Michigan State University researchers are helping set priorities and develop projects that will define the next decade of exploration into the fundamental workings of the universe.

Michigan State University senior Dorothy Zhao is the institution’s 20th Marshall Scholar. The Marshall Scholarship provides support for outstanding undergraduates in the United States to study any academic subject at universities of their choice in the United Kingdom for up to three years. 

Michigan State University researchers have shown that relationships and social interactions between hyenas influence when they “mob” lions.

Thirty outstanding MSU College of Natural Science faculty, staff and students were recognized for their achievements at the NatSci Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

By working with artisanal and small-scale gold miners and local experts, researchers at Michigan State University are helping reduce mercury emissions and reduce their health impacts.

Researchers led by Brian Gulbransen at Michigan State University have uncovered a reason that may explain why visceral pain is so common in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. This understanding could inspire new and better ways to alleviate that pain.

Gregg Howe and James Tiedje were included in this year’s annual list of Highly Cited Researchers, showing they are among the world’s most influential scientists.

Researchers from Michigan State University have shed light on the biological puzzle of how plants launch immune responses. Reporting in Nature Communications, the team revealed one protein that plays a key role in mobilizing a plant’s antimicrobial defenses.

As Dave Dvorak steps down from the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Director’s Advisory Board, his legacy of dedication, generosity, and passion for conservation illustrates the power and impact of individual commitment.

Fundamental research could make growing better crops like clockwork.

MSU researcher Olorunseun “Seun” Ogunwobi has been selected as a Jefferson Science Fellow of that National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicines as well as a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria. These appointments recognize and elevate Ogunwobi’s groundbreaking work on the molecular mechanisms of progression of solid organ tumors and the understudied impact of cancer health disparities. The image depicts cells in a culture illuminated by a microscope.

Researchers led by Tuo Wang, the inaugural Carl H. Brubaker Jr. Endowed Associate Professor at Michigan State University, have revealed how microorganisms known as halophilic fungi restructure their cell walls to survive in extremely salty conditions. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, helps deepen our understanding of how life has adapted to our planet’s harshest environments.

Michigan State University is proud to announce its national  finalists for the prestigious Marshall Scholarship and Rhodes Scholarship. Organizers will announce the results of these competitions in the coming weeks. Dorothy Zhao is a finalist for both the Marshall Scholarship and the U.S. Rhodes Scholarship. Ashley Harlock is a finalist for the Marshall Scholarship.

In April 2021, four Michigan State University plant scientists met at an undisclosed area on campus to dig up a bottle containing seeds buried more than 144 years ago by MSU botanist William J. Beal. Fast forward to 2023, to a discovery that would have surprised and amazed Beal.