Plant and Crop Physiology and Biochemistry

Promoting sustainable crop production, improving plant productivity and quality, reducing postharvest losses, understanding how plants sense and respond to abiotic stress, probing the diversity of plant specialized metabolism, and understanding fundamental mechanisms of growth and development

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Faculty Interest and Expertise

  • Cornelius Barry

    Associate Professor
    Biochemical Evolution of Specialized Metabolism within the Solanaceae Family; Genetic Determinants of Fruit Quality and Ripening
    barrycs@msu.edu
    (517) 884-6959

  • Randy Beaudry

    Professor
    Postharvest biology and technology; controlled atmosphere storage of pome fruit, modified atmosphere packaging; sugarbeet storage, ripening biology and aroma volatile biochemistry.
    beaudry@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0303

  • Daniel Brainard

    Professor
    Development of reduced-tillage, cover-crop intensive vegetable production systems; weed ecology and management, with an emphasis on seed biology
    brainar9@msu.edu
    517-353-0417

  • Bert Cregg

    Professor
    Physiology and management of trees in landscapes and nursery production
    cregg@msu.edu
    517-353-0335

  • Todd Einhorn

    Associate Professor
    Tree fruit physiology, plant-water relations, rootstock biology, plant growth regulation
    einhornt@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0430

  • Tom Fernandez, Ph.D.

    Professor
    Sustainability of wholesale production nurseries, water management and quality
    fernan15@msu.edu
    517-353-0336

  • Rebecca Grumet

    Professor
    Reproductive development in Cucumis; regulation of sex-expression; disease resistance; biotechnology biosafety; cucurbit genomics.
    grumet@msu.edu
    517-353-0431

  • Kyung-Hwan Han

    Professor
    Molecular biology of secondary growth; secondary wall biosynthesis; feedstock development for bioenergy and biomaterials; drought tolerance
    hanky@msu.edu
    517-803-9418

  • Courtney Hollender

    Assistant Professor
    Molecular Genetics, Plant Development, Fruit Tree Physiology
    chollend@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0446

  • Ning Jiang

    Professor
    Function of transposable elements; mechanisms of genome diversification; computational and molecular biology.
    jiangn@msu.edu
    517-353-0381

  • Muraleedharan Nair

    Professor
    Bioactive natural products: Functional foods and Phytoceuticals. Discovery, isolation, purification, identification and standardization of bioactive molecules; efficacy, dose and toxicity evaluation; formulation and process development.
    nairm@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0406

  • Erik Runkle

    Professor
    Lighting applications in greenhouses and indoor vertical farms; light-emitting diodes; greenhouse energy conservation; crop production in controlled environments
    runkleer@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0350

  • Paolo Sabbatini

    Associate Professor
    Grapevine physiology; photosynthetic carbon assimilation and partitioning; viticulture; cultivar evaluation of Michigan.
    sabbatin@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0302

  • Guo-Qing Song

    Associate Professor
    Improvement of horticultural crops using genomics, genetic, and biotechnological tools; development of efficient plant micropropagation, regeneration and transformation techniques.
    songg@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0384

  • Steve van Nocker

    Professor
    Developmental genetics of plants, traits important for production including flowering, chromatin regulation of gene expression
    vannocke@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0394

  • Ryan Warner

    Associate Professor
    Genetics of plant development; genomics-assisted breeding; marker-assisted selection; floriculture crops.
    warnerry@msu.edu
    (517) 353-0344

Facilities

  • Horticulture Teaching Greenhouses

    1066 Bogue St East Lansing, MI 48824

    These glass greenhouses are used primarily for teaching horticulture production classes.

  • Plant Science Greenhouses

    1059 Farm Ln East Lansing, MI 48824

    Located near the corner of Farm Ln and Wilson Rd, the Plant Science Greenhouses are utilized by Horticulture faculty, as well as other departments for plant science research.

  • Research Technology Support Facility

    612 Wilson Road S-20 East Lansing, MI 48824

    The Research Technology Support Facility at Michigan State University is a collection of five analytical facilities which provide the fundamental tools for modern life science research.

  • The Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center

    1066 Bogue St East Lansing, MI 48824

    The PBROC is dedicated to the safe deployment of plant biotechnological advancements to Michigan and the world.

Internships and Careers

Students find internship and career opportunities in many diverse areas, including crop production, sales, research and teaching:

Internship and Job Postings for MSU Horticulture Students (Certificate, B.S., & Graduate) and Alumni

 

Other Educational Opportunities and Resources

Floriculture

Fruits & Nuts

Nursery & Christmas Trees

Organic Agriculture

Vegetables

 

Plant Science Research

Department Information

Students

Research Focus Areas

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