MSU Plant Resilience Institute
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msupri.bsky.social
MSU Plant Resilience Institute
@msupri.bsky.social
540 followers 300 following 180 posts
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
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msupri.bsky.social
The 2026 @nappn.bsky.social Annual Conference is in full swing at Michigan State University! We're looking forward to the next two days of innovation in #plantphenotyping across scales, including tomorrow's talks by PRI members Christopher Topp, Jonathan Concepcion, and Anuradha Singh! #NAPPN2026
Three people smile together while sitting at a round, white table. Other people sitting at tables can be seen in the background.
February 10, 2026 at 9:03 PM
msupri.bsky.social
This past weekend, interdisciplinary trainees came together to tackle real-world agricultural data challenges at the MSU Bayer Hackathon! As a proud sponsor, the Plant Resilience Institute celebrates the creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration demonstrated by everyone involved! #MSUAgHack2026
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. Three people on the winning hackathon team pose together in front of a chalkboard. There is a poster behind them of a cartoon corn kernal holding a sign that says "Kernel Crew" on it. The two people on the end are holding their arms up in a flexing motion, and the person in the middle is holding up finger hearts. Nine hackathon organizers and partners gather together while smiling in front of a brick wall that has abstract, metal sculptures hanging on it.
February 9, 2026 at 4:04 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Bayer and the Plant Resilience Institute are hosting a free plant breeding hackathon for trainees, February 7-8 at Michigan State University! Register by January 30 for this fast-paced, collaborative event focused on engineering solutions in predictive breeding: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
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.
January 27, 2026 at 7:14 PM
msupri.bsky.social
We're growing our research team! The MSU Plant Resilience institute is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to join the Howe lab and lead a project investigating a newly emerging class of plant regulatory metabolites.

Learn more and apply now: careers.msu.edu/jobs/researc... #PlantSciJobs #PlantScience
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.”
January 22, 2026 at 7:12 PM
msupri.bsky.social
It's your last chance to register for the 2026 @nappn.bsky.social Annual Conference, taking place February 7-12 at MSU, along with pre-conference workshops and student hackathon! Conference registration is due THIS FRIDAY, January 23 at: plantphenotyping.org/conference-home

#NAPPN2026 #PlantScience
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.
January 20, 2026 at 5:26 PM
msupri.bsky.social
The MSU Plant Resilience Institute is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year! In honor of the occasion, PRI alumni are invited to attend the festivities at our 2026 retreat in May! Learn more and register as an alumni attendee at: bit.ly/pri2026retreat
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.
January 14, 2026 at 3:59 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Partnering with over 90 farmers across Michigan, Dr. Christine Sprunger (@sprunger.bsky.social) is examining how land management practices impact soil health.

Read more about her work to improve soil health, ecosystem diversity and crop productivity:
www.canr.msu.edu/news/msu-res...

#PlantScience
A headshot of Dr. Christine Sprunger, smiling in a corn field and wearing a black sweater.
January 5, 2026 at 7:54 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Wishing our PRI community, collaborators, and friends a joyful holiday season! Here’s to continued discovery and growth in the year ahead. Happy holidays from all of us at the MSU Plant Resilience Institute!
December 22, 2025 at 4:29 PM
msupri.bsky.social
We’re excited to share the MSU Plant Resilience Institute’s 2025 Annual Report!

From breakthrough discoveries to global collaborations, join us in celebrating another year of extraordinary growth and scientific achievement at PRI.

🌱 Explore the report: plantresilience.msu.edu/about/annual...
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."
December 16, 2025 at 6:38 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Happy #WorldSoilDay! PRI faculty member @sprunger.bsky.social is at the forefront of soil research, developing new methodologies to use nematodes as bioindicators for soil health, linking soil biodiversity to productivity, carbon accumulation, and climate resiliency. 🪱 Learn more: sprungerlab.com
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.
December 5, 2025 at 7:00 PM
msupri.bsky.social
PRI is proud to highlight the extraordinary achievements of 3 faculty recognized with awards from the College of Natural Science:

Emily Josephs: Teacher-Scholar Award
David Lowry: Postdoctoral Mentoring Award
Sue Rhee: Research Leadership Award

Read more: plantresilience.msu.edu/pri-news/202...
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.
December 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
msupri.bsky.social
🚨 Hiring alert! MSU's Plant Resilience Institute is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance discovery of new regulatory metabolites driving plant stress responses. #PlantSciJobs

Join us as we push the boundaries of plant resilience research: careers.msu.edu/jobs/researc...
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.”
December 4, 2025 at 2:55 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Come see us and @c-spirit.org next week at #GLEXPO! The Great Lakes EXPO brings together growers, industry professionals, and agricultural scientists in one of the largest specialty ag trade shows in North America. Learn more and register at glexpo.com. 🧑‍🌾
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."
December 3, 2025 at 4:16 PM
msupri.bsky.social
PRI is seeking a postdoctoral researcher with strong computational and data science skills to join a project focused on identifying causal environmental drivers of crop resilience and yield.

🧬 Learn more and apply: careers.msu.edu/jobs/researc...

#PlantSciJobs #PlantScience
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.”
December 2, 2025 at 8:55 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Today is #GivingTuesday, and it's a chance to support the Plant Resilience Institute scientists working to solve grand challenges in the face of climate change.

Join us in giving to PRI's Plant Innovation Fund to fuel innovations in plant resilience: plantresilience.msu.edu/Contribute/index.aspx 🌱
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.
December 2, 2025 at 3:43 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Now hiring! 📣 @davidlowry.bsky.social's lab at MSU is searching for a new postdoctoral researcher to study the evolution, genetics, and physiology of cold acclimation and freezing tolerance in switchgrass.

Learn more and apply: careers.msu.edu/jobs/researc...

#PlantSciJobs #PlantScience
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.”
November 21, 2025 at 5:29 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Among the cracked earth & blinding sunlight of California's Death Valley, one native plant not only survives — it thrives.

Read the story of how this plant helped @rheelab.bsky.social scientists reveal a blueprint for engineering heat-resilient crops: msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/11...

#PlantScience
A view of rocky terrain in Death Valley, California with mountains in the distance under a blue sky.
November 20, 2025 at 6:47 PM
msupri.bsky.social
The Plant Resilience Institute and @c-spirit.org will be at the 2025 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO! Come connect with us and learn about the latest agricultural innovations in Michigan. Early-bird registration ends November 15! Learn more and register at: glexpo.com #GLEXPO
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
November 12, 2025 at 3:07 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Connect with the plant phenotyping community at the 2026 @nappn.bsky.social Annual Conference, taking place February 9-12 at MSU! To be considered for a talk, abstracts are due October 31, 2025! Register & submit your abstract at: www.plantphenotyping.org/conference-h...

#NAPPN2026 #PlantScience
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.
October 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM
msupri.bsky.social
We're excited for #NDiSTEM2025 this week! For those of you heading to Columbus, Ohio to attend, join us at the STEM symposia "From Stress to Strength: Understanding Plant Resilience Across Scales."

Learn more at: www.sacnas.org/conference

@sacnas.bsky.social #SACNAS #STEMCommunity #PlantResilience
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"
October 27, 2025 at 6:12 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Congratulations to the newest cohort of PRI Seed Grant Program awardees! Their projects reflect the creativity and dedication of MSU trainees working collaboratively to address critical challenges in #plantresilience.

View the full list of funded projects at: plantresilience.msu.edu/resources/fu...
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
October 23, 2025 at 8:10 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Plant scientists at the MSU Plant Resilience Institute, including @rheelab.bsky.social, stand ready to meet the challenge of improving global food security. Read more about how MSU is working to build climate-resilient crops: msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/10...

#SpartansWill #PlantResilience
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.
October 20, 2025 at 2:17 PM
msupri.bsky.social
We're excited to welcome Christopher Topp to the Plant Resilience Institute! Dr. Topp uses powerful imaging tools to envision the future of sustainable agriculture, and he will soon bring his expertise in root biology to MSU. Read the full story: plantresilience.msu.edu/pri-news/202...
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.
October 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM
msupri.bsky.social
Congratulations to all the incredible trainee presenters at #GLPSC2025! Your flash talks and posters showcased the creativity and rigor driving the future of #plantscience in the Great Lakes region. We’re excited to highlight our competition winners! 🏆🧵
Burcu Alptekin poses with Sue Rhee and David Lowry while holding her first place flash talk certificate Briana Hashim poses with Sue Rhee and David Lowry while holding her first place poster certificate Conference attendees examine a poster during one of the poster sessions Poster presenters talk about their research to conference attendees during one of the poster sessions
September 17, 2025 at 9:29 PM
msupri.bsky.social
In honor of National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to the postdoctoral researchers at MSU's Plant Resilience Institute. We’re proud to work alongside you and excited to support your continued growth and success. PRI is more resilient because of all of you! 🌱
The graphic features a faded background image of hands in a circle cupping seedlings in soil, as well as the PRI logo and the text "PRI Postdocs, Rooted in resilience, branching into brilliance."
September 17, 2025 at 7:01 PM