MSU Plant Resilience Institute

@msupri.bsky.social

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The PRI facilitates interdisciplinary #plantscience at Michigan State University. 🌱 We're tackling the challenge of improving plant resilience in a changing world. Learn more: plantresilience.msu.edu

The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: “Desiccation tolerance mechanisms in the green lineage and beyond.” There are two circular headshot photos on the left. Text on the right states: “Schuster and VanBuren, New Phytologist (2026)" with the Michigan State University and Plant Resilience Institute logos underneath. At the bottom is an illustration of the ancient origin and recurrent evolution of desiccation tolerance in the green lineage.
An announcement for a new research press release, which includes an image of a green caterpillar on top of a small white flower and the following text contained in a green box underneath the image, “Plants can activate immune ‘dimmer switch’,” with the Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute wordmark logos at the bottom.
An announcement celebrating a new faculty hire, which includes an image of William Hammond and the following text contained in a green box underneath the image, "Internationally recognized plant ecophysiologist William Hammond joins MSU," with the Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute wordmark logos at the bottom.
A promotional graphic for a job opportunity in the Michigan State University Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences as a specialist teacher. The graphic has a background image of a field with details about the position written in green boxes.
The graphic is a job advertisement for the GLACIER field research technician. It features a background image of a flooded soybean field with the Plant Resilience Institute logo in the top left corner. In the middle of the graphic is a green gradient arrow with the following text: “Now Hiring: Field Research Technician for GLACIER.” In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text: “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
A promotional graphic for the PRI poster presenters at the Plant Biology 2026 conference in Ottawa, featuring headshot images and presentation details for Lydia Bergerson, Erin Cushing, and Catherine Mercado with a plant-themed background and the MSU PRI logo at the bottom.
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: "Plant hormone manipulation impacts salt spray tolerance, which preempts herbivory as a driver of local adaptation in the yellow monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus." There is a circular headshot image of David Lowry on the left, and text on the right states: "Toll et al., Journal of Evolutionary Biology (2026)" with the logos for Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute underneath. At the bottom, there are two photos of the coastal and inland experiment sites.
A promotional graphic for the PRI speakers at the Plant Biology 2026 conference in Ottawa, featuring headshots and presentation details for Joanna Feehan and Seung Yon (Sue) Rhee, with a plant-themed background and the MSU PRI logo at the bottom.
The graphic has a green gradient background with a headshot image of Shifa Ansari on the right and the Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute word mark logos in the top left corner. Contained in a light green arrow, is the following text: “MSU Plant Resilience Institute EWAS-PR Postdoc.” At the bottom, there is text that reads: “Shifa Ansari, Postdoctoral Scholar, Rhee, Thompson, and VanBuren Labs, Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University.”
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: “Reimagining plant science training in the era of generative artificial intelligence: a global perspective.” Two circular head shot photos on the left show a man and a woman. To the right is a graph outlining the six shifts the authors suggest for training plant scientists in the AI landscape. Underneath, there is text that states: “Moghe et al., The Plant Cell (2026).” Logos for Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute are at the bottom.
Bailey Kleven speaks in front of a large crowd seated at round tables in a large banquet room. She is standing at a lectern in front of a large window and vertical banner advertising PSNA 2026. There are two projector screens on either side displaying Bailey's talk title and a photo of an Arabidopsis plant.
The graphic has a green gradient background with a headshot image of Ian Gilman on the right and the Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute word mark logos in the top left corner. Contained in a light green arrow, is the following text: “2026 Danny Schnell Plant Biology Outstanding Postdoctoral awardee.” At the bottom, there is text that reads: “Ian Gilman, VanBuren Lab NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Plant Biology, Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University.”
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: “The impact of short-term flooding on soil microbial communities, soil nitrogen and maize productivity in clay loam soils of Ohio, United States.” Below the title on the left are circular headshot photos of the authors, and on the right, there is a figure depicting the impact of the flood treatment. At the bottom, there is text that states: "Naasko et al., Annals of Applied Biology (2026)" and the logos of Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute.
The graphic has a green gradient background with a headshot image of Robert VanBuren on the right and the Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute wordmark logos in the top left corner. Contained in a light green arrow, is the following text: “MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2026 Mid-Career Researcher Awardee.” At the bottom, there is text that reads: “Robert VanBuren, Associate Professor, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Department of Plant Biology, Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University.”
The graphic is a job advertisement for a research assistant position in the Rhee lab. The background is an image of a desert with mountains in the distance, and the Plant Resilience Institute and Rhee lab logos are in the top left corner. In the middle of the graphic is a green gradient arrow with the following text: “Now Hiring: Rhee Lab Research Assistant III." In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text: “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
A large group of people standing together outside on concrete steps
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: "Procrustean pseudo-landmark methods in Python to measure massive quantities of leaf shape data." There are four circular headshot photos on the left of the PRI authors. To the right is an illustration of the diversity of leaf shapes across all datasets, including the mean leaf for each dataset. Text at the bottom, states: "Hightower et al., Applications in Plant Sciences (2026)" with the logos for Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute underneath.
A graphic announcing Kristin Leutgeb as an NSF GRPF recipient. The graphic has a green gradient background and an image of Kristin smiling and wearing a black sweater. On the right side of the graphic are the Michigan State University and Plant Resilience Institute logos and the following text: "NSF Graduate Research Program Fellow Kristin Leutgeb, Ph.D. Student, Glassmire Lab, Department of Entomology, Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University."
A graphic for Earth Day with a green PRI leaf logo linked with a drawing of Earth over top a green field and blue sky. The text at the top says: "Happy Earth Day."
A graphic for Administrative Professionals Day honoring the Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute administrative team. Text in the top left says: "Happy Administrative Professionals Day" with the MSU PRI logo underneath. The graphic includes a grid of ten headshots with the following text over it: "Celebrating the PRI Administrative Team."
A collage of photos from "The World of Plants" over a light blue background surrounded by various decorate plant science elements. The photos feature presenters and attendees interacting at various booths. There is text over the collage that says: "Exploring the world of plants."
A woman leans over a table with a large plant research poster on it while gesturing to a corn plant and speaking to a young child and his father.
A woman sits at a table surrounded by tomato plants in green pots and containers of Legos. She is speaking to a small child in front of the booth while building with the Legos.
The image is a colorful promotional poster for the Michigan State University Science Festival, focusing on the theme "World of Plants." Centrally featured is a collage of various plant and science-related elements against a vivid blue and white background.
The graphic is a job advertisement for postdoctoral researcher positions in the Topp lab. It features a faded background image of a plant root on top of a ruler next to a probe with the Plant Resilience Institute logo in the top left corner. In the middle of the graphic is a green gradient arrow with the following text: “Now Hiring: Topp Lab Postdoctoral Researchers." In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text: “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
The image is a promotional graphic for ARPAE2026. There are orange and blue curved lines on the top and bottom borders and the DOE logo at the top left. Against a white background is the following text: “ARPAE Energy Innovation Summit. April 7-9, 2026 ⎸ San Diego, CA. www.ARPAE-Summit.com.”
The graphic is a job advertisement for a postdoctoral position in the Rhee lab. It features a background image of a nematode with the Plant Resilience Institute, Rhee lab, C-SPIRIT, and WALII logos at the top. In the middle of the graphic is a green gradient arrow with the following text: “Now Hiring: Rhee Lab Postdoctoral Researcher." In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text: “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: "Genome-wide association studies and modeling of stomatal gas conductance reveal genetic control of water-use efficiency in sorghum." There are three circular headshot photos on the left with text below that states: "Singh, Newton, and Thompson, Plant Physiology (2026)." There is a figure on the right showing natural variations in leaf anatomical traits in sorghum. Logos for Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute are at the bottom right.
The graphic is a job advertisement for the SYNCORNET Project Administrator. It features a background image of a field with farm machinery with the Plant Resilience Institute logo in the top left corner. In the middle of the graphic is a green gradient arrow with the following text: “Now Hiring: SYNCORNET Project Administrator.” In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text: “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
Addie Thompson smiles while holding the 2026 M. Rhoades Early-Career Award on a balcony overlooking Cologne, Germany at night.
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: "Revisiting plant isoprene emission: From atmospheric chemistry to plant stress resilience." On the left side, there is a circular photo of a man. To the right is a diagram illustrating the process of plant isoprene emission, detailing factors like environmental drivers, biosynthesis, and physiological outcomes. Text at the bottom, states: "Sharkey et al., Journal of Plant Physiology (2026)." Logos for Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute are at the bottom.
Promotional graphic for the BioEMTalks 2026 Session II featuring speakers and topics on life science EM research and instrumentation.
A close-up of a a bright redish-orange flower with a yellow center
The graphic promotes the Plant Resilience Institute’s Plant Innovation Fund for Give Green Day. At the top of the graphic, there is white text against a dark green background that states: “Go Green! Support Plant Innovation.” Underneath is an image of three researchers examining small potted plants inside a greenhouse. Below the image, is the Give Green Day logo next to the URL to donate. In the bottom right corner against a dark green background, are the Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute logos.
A promotional graphic for an event titled "March Madness: Battle of the Biofuel Crops." The top section features a light gray background with circular illustrations of poplar, sorghum, switchgrass, and mixed prairie plants. Above the illustrations, there is a hyperlink for registration. The bottom section showcases five individuals with headshots above their names and their event role/plant they'll be representing. From left to right, they are Sarah Lebeis: Moderator, Rebecca Smith: Poplar, Evan Kurtz: Sorghum, Colette Berg: Switchgrass, and Dileepa Jayawardena: Mixed Prairie.
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: “Multiple signalling increases both prey response and diversity in a carnivorous pitcher plant.” There are two circular head shot photos on the left. Text on the right states: "Martin-Eberhardt et al., Functional Ecology (2026)" with the logos for Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute underneath. At the bottom is a figure showing the sampling sites across Michigan as well as a diagram and photo of artificial pitcher plants.
The image is an announcement for a new publication from the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. At the top, a green banner displays the title "NEW PRI PUBLICATION" in bold white text. Below is the paper title in white over a textured green background: “Variability in drought gene expression datasets highlights the need for paired physiology and community standardization.” Two circular headshot photos on the left show a man and a woman. To the right are six bar charts in a grid depicting various data related to plant resilience. Each chart has a title: "Plant age," "Environment," "Media," "Stress duration," "Mechanism of drying," and "Paired physiology datasets." Text at the bottom, states: "VanBuren et al., Plant Physiology (2026).” Logos for Michigan State University and the Plant Resilience Institute are at the bottom left.
Three people smile together while sitting at a round, white table. Other people sitting at tables can be seen in the background.
A large group of hackathon participants stand and kneel together while smiling and wearing matching lanyards and gray t-shirts with a drawing of the state of Michigan on them. The person taking the photo leans into the frame on the front left, and there is a brown and white dog in the center of the group. They are inside a sunny building, posing in front of a wall of windows between two white pillars.
The lime green and navy graphic has a background image of computer code and DNA with the Michigan State University word mark in the top left corner. Contained in a white circle, there is the North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN) logo above the following text: Bayer Hackathon, February 7-8, 2026, Michigan State University. A free, hands-on plant breeding hackathon for students and trainees before the 2026 NAPPN Annual Conference. Register: plantphenotyping.org/conference-home Sponsored by:" with the Bayer and PRI logos at the bottom.
The graphic has a faded background image of hands scooping up a seedling in the dirt with the Plant Resilience Institute logo in the top left corner. In a green gradient arrow, there is text that says, “Now Hiring: Howe Lab Postdoctoral Researcher.” In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text, “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
The graphic includes an image of maize plants growing in a field being surveyed by a drone set over a lime green background. The MSU wordmark is in the top left corner with the following text below: "2026 NAPPN Annual Conference Plus Pre-Conference Workshops & Student Hackathon, February 7-12, 2026, Michigan State University" In a navy blue rectangle is the following text: "Conference registration is due this Friday, January 23rd at: plantphenotyping.org/conference-home." The NAPPN logo is contained in a white triangle in the bottom right corner.
The graphic has a green gradient background and the following text: Calling all Plant Resilience Institute Alumni, You’re invited to join us for the PRI 10th Anniversary Celebration, May 6, 2026, Michigan State University, Learn more & register: bit.ly/pri2026retreat. The graphic also features the PRI 10th anniversary logo, a QR code, and photos on the righthand side of a flowering plant, PRI members working together in a lab, and a group shot of PRI members sitting outside together.
A headshot of Dr. Christine Sprunger, smiling in a corn field and wearing a black sweater.
The PRI logo with a Santa hat on it is contained in a snow globe with animated snow falling around it. The text “Happy holidays” appears on the base of the snow globe with “from the Plant Resilience Institute” underneath it. The MSU PRI wordmark is in the upper left corner, and there are sprigs of holly in the upper right and bottom left corners.
A graphic with a blurred background image of hands in soil circling a small green plant growing out of a green PRI emblem with the text overtop "2025 Annual Report."
The graphic features a background image of soil with the title "World Soil Day, December 5, 2025." On the right is a headshot of Christine Sprunger, Associate Professor of Soil Health. The left side of the graphic has a flowchart linking soil biodiversity to productivity, carbon accumulation, and climate resiliency. The PRI logo is located in the bottom left corner.
A square graphic broken into four quadrants, with the NatSci logo and text "2025 College Awards" in the top left corner, a photo of Emily Josephs receiving her award from Eric Hegg in the top right, a photo of David Lowry receiving his award from Eric Hegg in the bottom left, and a headshot of Sue Rhee in the bottom right.
The graphic has a faded background image of hands scooping up a seedling in the dirt with the Plant Resilience Institute logo in the top left corner. In a green gradient arrow, there is text that says, “Now Hiring: Howe Lab Postdoctoral Researcher.” In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text, “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
The graphic features the GLEXPO logo in front of photos of the GLEXPO exhibitor hall. Below, there is text that says "Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO, Dec. 9-11, Devon Place, Grand Rapids, MI."
A graphic with a blue background image of computer code and DNA with the Plant Resilience Institute logo in the top left corner. In a green gradient arrow, there is text that says, “Now Hiring: EWAS Postdoctoral Researcher.” In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text, “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
A photograph of Drs. Yuan Xu and Tom Sharkey measuring the rate of photosynthesis and isoprene being released by a soybean plant in the lab with the MSU PRI logo in the top left corner and the Giving Tuesday logo in the bottom left corner.
A graphic with faded background images of switchgrass plants and the Plant Resilience Institute logo in the top left corner. In a green gradient arrow, there is text that says, “Now Hiring: Lowry Lab Postdoctoral Researcher.” In the bottom right corner, there is the MSU PRI logo and the text, “Apply online at careers.msu.edu.”
A view of rocky terrain in Death Valley, California with mountains in the distance under a blue sky.
A blue and green graphic with two images of previous GLEXPO events with the following text: Register today, Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO, Early Bird Registration ends Nov. 15! Dec. 9-11, Grand Rapids, MI, www.glexpo.com
The graphic includes an image of maize plants growing in a field being surveyed by a drone set over a lime green background. The MSU logo is in the top left corner with the following text below: "2026 NAPPN Annual Conference, February 9-12, East Lansing, MI." In a navy blue rectangle is the following text: "Talk abstracts are due October 31st. Learn more & register: plantphenotyping.org/conference-home." The NAPPN logo is contained in a white triangle in the bottom right corner.
An orange to blue gradient with abstract molecules around the edges serves as the background of the graphic. The 2025 NDiSTEM logo is at the top-center of the graphic bordered by two plant drawings. Below, there is a white box that contains the following text: "From Stress to Strength: Understanding Plant Resilience Across Scales, Thursday, October 30, 2025, 4:15-5:30 p.m. EDT, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Room A 110-111"
The PRI Seed Grant Program awardees of cohort 4 pictured together from left to right: Tyler Wintermute, Yuan Xu, Bailey Kleven, Donielle Brottlund, Tomas Lopes, Kaitlin Gattoni, Sydney Chen, Briana Hashim, and Trine Andersen
Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute Director Sue Rhee stands in a field wearing a lab coat and holding a large beaker filled with soil planted with various small crops.
The graphic features a background image of roots over a green gradient. The title says "Chris Topp Puts Down Roots at MSU PRI." There is a headshot of Chris Topp on the righthand side with the following text on the left, "Christopher N. Topp, Ph.D., Professor, Plant Resilience Institute, Department of Plant Biology, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University” and the MSU PRI logo underneath.