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Michigan State University researchers Piotr Piecuch and Guowei Wei were formally honored as MSU Research Foundation Professors at an investiture ceremony held on Nov. 14. Piecuch and his team develop quantum-mechanical theories and computational tools that enable them and researchers worldwide to probe a wide range of questions in chemistry and atomic, molecular and nuclear physics. Wei’s group combines expertise in artificial intelligence with mathematical tools from topology and algebra to develop innovative approaches to solving medical issues, such as drug discovery and predicting viral mutations.

WKAR's Megan Schellong spoke with Tom Sharkey, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Michigan State University, to discuss his research findings on how plants store food for their future when they sense there's less daylight available.

For a small field like computational biology, joining an international workshop is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from, collaborate with and talk to professionals and students from around the world. This is how Duncan Boren of the Vermaas Lab felt when he learned about the CompBioAsia program.

BMB celebrates its many 2023 NatSci and undergraduate award winners.

Renowned Michigan State University cancer researcher Olorunseun “Seun” Ogunwobi has been selected to serve as a Jefferson Science Fellow by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.He’s also been elected as a fellow of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria. In these roles, he will provide academic and professional leadership that influences and informs policy and enhances human health and welfare.  

Get to know Assistant Professor Melanie Balbach who joined MSU in August 2023. The Balbach Lab will explore key biochemical questions related to reproductive physiology and sperm metabolism--research with breakthrough applications for our  understanding infertility and potential male contraceptives.

Michigan State University professors Ben Orlando and Bjoern Hamberger were honored as James K. Billman Jr., M.D. Endowed Professors at an investiture ceremony held Oct. 28. The Billman Professorships were established by MSU alumnus Dr. James Billman to support exceptional researchers in the College of Natural Science’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Professor Hamberger is a leading expert on plant-derived bioactive diterpenoids, while Professor Orlando utilizes cryoEM to examine the structure, dynamics, and function of membrane protein complexes.

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Club traveled to East Lansing’s Donley elementary school to participate in their science night. Undergradates led hands-on experiments exploring pH levels in household liquids and plant coloration.

Michigan State University plant biochemist Tom Sharkey and his team discovered that, on a warming planet, plants such as oaks and poplars will emit more of a compound that exacerbates poor air quality, contributing to problematic particulate matter and low-atmosphere ozone. The rub is that the same compound, called isoprene, can also improve the quality of clean air while making plants more resistant to stressors including insects and high temperatures. The findings were recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Join a community of over 200 plant science faculty, embracing collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to foundational and applied research. Become a part of a renowned legacy, spanning decades of pioneering contributions to plant science research. 

Research conducted by Sue Rhee and Hatem Rouached was given a news spotlight by CBS Detroit meteorologist Karen Carter. Their work seeks to increase plant resilience to phosphorus deficiency—a crucial breakthrough as world phosphorus levels continue to decrease in the face of widespread agricultural uses. 

BMB and MPS graduate student MacKenzie Jacobs writes about her experience in Switzerland in summer 2023, attending Polyploid Summer School at the University of Fribourg.

Over 120 researchers visited MSU's campus for the 62nd annual meeting of the PSNA—a leading gathering of plant chemical diversity community and scholarship.

Five Molecular Plant Science students—including three from BMB—were recently accepted into the Plant Biotechnology for Health and Sustainability (PBHS) Graduate Training Program. 

Current BMB graduate students share a bit about themselves and their research.

MSU science education researchers Kevin Haudek, Melanie Cooper, and Rachel Henderson have received a $700,000 National Science Foundation grant to study the role of Mathematical Sensemaking in Science (MaSS) in undergraduate STEM courses. This collaborative project will develop new assessments to elicit mathematical thinking from biology, chemistry, and physics students. Research results will deepen our understanding of the role of mathematics in undergraduate science education.

MSU researcher Jin He recieves NIH grant to further study connections between ASH1L gene and autism spectrum disorder.

MSU biochemist Robert Quinn has spent years studying the biochemistry of coral bleaching, a heat-induced response to stress causing it to turn white. Bleaching is damaging to reefs and is expected to increase due to climate change. While Quinn has discovered unique betaine lipids in coral that are markers of resistance to coral bleaching, very little is known about them. During a literature review of these lipids, Quinn discovered that MSU colleague, Christoph Benning, had written on the subject. This connection led to the two scientists teaming up on a $1.9 million NSF grant to study the role that betaine lipids play in coral bleaching.

Internationally renowned cancer researcher Olorunseun “Seun” Ogunwobi will join Michigan State University on Aug. 16 as chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), which is affiliated with the College of Natural Science, the College of Human Medicine and the College of Osteopathic Medicine. He will also serve as co-director of the forthcoming Center for Cancer Health Equity Research at MSU.

The researchers in the PRL Ducat lab show Cyanobacteria, photosynthetic microorganisms which have widespread uses in the production of pigments, antioxidants and supplements and potential ones in biofuels and plastics, have a new way to communicate to control their population.

MSU Research Foundation Professor Guowei Wei was among 140 colleagues who make up the AIMBE College of Fellows class of 2023

Michigan State University researchers have discovered a molecular mechanism that connects plant root growth to phosphorus availability.

Spartan researchers help show how omnipresent biomolecular machines with important health implications transport metals

MSU researchers have traced the evolution of mint genomes for potential future applications that range from medicines to pesticides to antimicrobials.

Researchers from the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory Benning lab have received a $1,076,813 grant from the National Science Foundation to bring research into the undergraduate classroom setting with a project looking at how the chloroplast reacts to stress responses in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

With nearly $11M from DOE, MSU is leading a collaboration to usher the US into new frontiers of clean energy with inspiration from microbes

MSU earns $2M DOE grant to improve the oilseed yield of Camelina sativa, a common plant that could provide cleaner jet fuels and teach us about other important crops

Gregg Howe is recognized in the 2022 Highly Cited Researchers List compiled by Clarivate Analytics.