Department of Plant and Microbial Biology

Jul 27, 2018

Intestinal Virus Study Shows Major Changes Associated With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Unexpected patterns emerged in the microbial and viral communities of mice with intestinal inflammation during a study that examined the intestinal tracts of diseased and healthy mice. Spearheaded by researchers at North Carolina State University, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Colorado, the study could lead to better understanding of potential causes and markers of inflammatory bowel disease. 

Jul 17, 2018

New Plant Sciences Research Projects Taking Shape

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences researchers and their partners near and far ramp up interdisciplinary plant research. Case in point: Researchers from NC State and three Danish universities have been working together to better understand plant-microbe interactions. 

Jun 26, 2018

Fish Food

CALS postdoc Karen O’Connell studies the best ways to grow microalgae to feed tiny brine shrimp that could be the base of the food chain for higher-value farm-raised fish. 

Apr 25, 2018

Student Spotlight: For Abel Walker, Sustainability is Key to Living Well

Plant biology student Abel Walker looks outside his comfort zone as he prepares for life beyond his December 2018 graduation. 

Apr 4, 2018

Cross Talk

NC State's Master of Microbial Biotechnology prepares students to work at the intersection of science, technology and business. 

Mar 15, 2018

Just-in-Time Tomatoes?

NC State scientists are exploring the molecular-level processes that cause tomatoes to ripen, and what they find could have big implications for a range of traits -- from flavor to firmness -- in fruit-bearing crops. 

Feb 22, 2018

‘Demographic Compensation’ May Not Save Plants Facing Climate Change

An in-depth look at how plants respond to climate change shows mixed results for the phenomenon of “demographic compensation” as a way for plants to avoid severe population declines. 

Nov 27, 2017

Student Spotlight: ‘Plant Research Immediately Impacts People’

After a summer undergraduate research experience with a leading NC State plant scientist, Catherine Doyle was hooked. The Ph.D. student traveled to Tanzania to see the problems posed by cassava mosaic disease. 

Nov 17, 2017

Getting to the Genetic Root of Stem Cells

NC State scientists find faster ways to identify the complex gene interactions that make stem cell renewal and differentiation in plants possible. 

Nov 6, 2017

Lost and Found

A cyanobacterial strain with an intriguing backstory could have an even more remarkable future, because the organism produces possible anticancer agents. Two NC State University scientists team up to find out how.