Plant Breeding, Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology
Improving crops, discovering genes, exploring gene function, studying crop evolution.
Faculty Interest and Expertise
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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
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Patrick Edger
Assistant Professor
Polyploid Genomics, Genetics and Breeding
edgerpat@msu.edu
765-749-1496
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Rebecca Grumet
Professor
Reproductive development in Cucumis; regulation of sex-expression; disease resistance; biotechnology biosafety; cucurbit genomics.
grumet@msu.edu
517-353-0431
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Kyung-Hwan Han, Ph.D.
Professor
Molecular biology of secondary growth; secondary wall biosynthesis; feedstock development for bioenergy and biomaterials; drought tolerance
hanky@msu.edu
517-803-9418
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Courtney Hollender
Assistant Professor
Molecular Genetics, Plant Development, Fruit Tree Physiology
chollend@msu.edu
(517) 353-0446
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Amy Iezzoni
Professor
Sour cherry breeding for fruit quality and disease resistance; cherry genetics; marker-assisted breeding; cherry rootstock selection.
iezzoni@msu.edu
517-353-0391
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Jiming Jiang
Professor
Plant gene expression and regulation induced by environmental stresses
jiangjm@msu.edu
(517) 355-4042
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Ning Jiang
Professor
Function of transposable elements; mechanisms of genome diversification; computational and molecular biology.
jiangn@msu.edu
517-353-0381
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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
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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
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Ryan Warner
Associate Professor
Genetics of plant development; genomics-assisted breeding; marker-assisted selection; floriculture crops.
warnerry@msu.edu
(517) 353-0344
Facilities
Internships and Careers
Our students find internship and career opportunities in:
- plant breeding and biotechnology companies
- universities and research institutes
- government – USDA, EPA, MDA
- international centers for crop improvement
- seed banks/germplasm repositories
See our Internships and Jobs page for more details on who hires our graduates.
Other Educational Opportunities and Resources
Opportunities for independent study, research projects, and lab experiences:
Most faculty offer undergraduate research experience opportunities. Information about ongoing projects can be found on individual faculty web pages above. The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) also provides funding opportunities for undergraduate research.