Undergraduate Research Support
We’re proud to offer our undergraduate students a unique research award opportunity. Applications are now open for the W. Scott and Mary Dell Chilton Undergraduate Research Award. Rising sophomores, juniors or seniors with an interest in becoming involved in research with a faculty member in our Department are eligible to apply.
Leaders in Our Field
Plants and microbes are the foundation of life. Advancing discoveries in plant research is essential to civilization, and that’s exactly what we do.
Our undergraduate and graduate students participate in research projects across an array of plant and microbiology disciplines — everything from biotechnology and cell biology to ecology and systematics. Students learn from experts who specialize not only in agriculturally important crops, but also those found in natural ecosystems, and model plants and microorganisms.
Connect With Us
🦠Check out this episode of @thesciencethatfeedsus featuring Dr. Manuel Kleiner from our department, where he breaks down how the trillions of microbes in your gut shape digestion, immunity, and long‑term health. He dives into his research on how different protein sources—from eggs and red meat to plant proteins—can shift the microbiome, and why fiber diversity matters more than today’s high‑protein hype.
Dr. Kleiner also shares practical, science‑backed tips for supporting a healthy gut and explains why diet variety, microbial teamwork, and patience are key to building a resilient microbiome.
#NCSU #ThinkandDo #Microbiology
✨Faculty Spotlight
🌾Today we are spotlighting Dr. George Tiley who has joined us as an Assistant Professor! Dr. Tiley is an evolutionary biologist whose work explores how plant genomes evolve, adapt, and diversify—research that spans polyploidy, grassland ecosystems, and cutting‑edge computational genomics.
🌱We’re thrilled to welcome him to our team and can’t wait to see the impact of his work on our community and beyond.
🐺Head over to our website to read the article about his research and welcome him to the Wolfpack!
#NCSU #ThinkandDo #PlantBiology
🎉Join us in congratulating our very own Dr. Heike Sederoff as she has been 1 of 6 NC State faculty that have been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.
🌱Her work focuses on sensory genomics in abiotic stress responses and metabolic engineering of crop plants to increase yield and resistance.
🏅AAAS named 449 fellows this year. Dr. Sederoff will be formally recognized in the journal Science in April. An induction ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2026.
Congratulations Dr. Sederoff!
#NCSU #ThinkandDo #PlantBiology #PlantPhysiology #MetabolicEngineering
