MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory

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: natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/2025…

Farmers 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/2025/2025…

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/tp…

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/2025/2025…

51 years. Half a century of passion, curiosity, and tireless work in plant biochemistry from researcher Thomas D. Sharkey. As Dr. Sharkey embarks on a well-deserved retirement, we want to express our deep gratitude for his incredible research journey and the profound impact

Looking for a story? Well, have we got you covered! Check out the latest news this week from the Plant Research Laboratories! mailchi.mp/msu/prl-newsle…

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: youtube.com/watch?v=mwjaKR…

Congratulations to Duncan Boren, a fourth-year graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, for receiving the Keegstra and Thomashow Travel Award for his research on membrane interactions! Read more here: natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/2025…

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/2025/2025…

New research from Trends in Plant Science titled "Nutrient cues control flowering time in plants". Read all about it in their new article here: cell.com/trends/plant-s…

Check out this article about soybeans and their cryptic emission of isoprene! pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

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. Read more: msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/some…

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/2025/2025…

New research! Interested in how volatile isoprenoids improve plant thermotolerance? Check out this article for more details! sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Read all about it! Check out the latest news from the Plant Research Laboratory: mailchi.mp/msu/prl-newsle…

Amazon trees under pressure! New study reveals how forest giants handle light and heat. The MultispeQ, a tool developed by David Kramer in the MSU-DOE Plant Research lab, was used to help capture how leaves in natural settings balance incoming light. canr.msu.edu/news/amazon-tr…

Here is some new research from Kramer lab published by New Phytologist Foundation: "Seasonal and intracanopy shifts in the fates of absorbed photons in central Amazonian forests: implications for leaf fluorescence and photosynthesis" nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/np…

New research from Vermaas lab published in Protein Science titled "Identifying and quantifying membrane interactions of the protein human cis-prenyltransferase" Read more about it here! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pr…

Christoph Benning is among the 120 members and 30 international members of the National Academy of Sciences being recognized for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research! Read more about his achievements here: msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/nati…