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.
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🤿When you think of plant biology, scuba diving probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But Georgia Varani’s summer research found the perfect way to bring the two together.
🪸This summer Varani participated in the NCSU Study Abroad trip, Bonaire: Ecological and Geological Processes in an Immersive Scientific Diving Experience. The program aims to immerse students in the ecological and geological processes of Bonaire’s fringing reef system through a combination of scientific diving training and field‑based study of the island’s marine and coastal environments.
🔗Find out how she plans to use this experience to further her career in plant biology by reading the summer spotlight on our website.
#NCSU #ThinkandDo #PlantBiology #MarineBiology
Video of a bed of Turtle Grass in Lac Bay, Bonaire
Georgia pointing out some Halimeda spp. that she found under a rock in shallow waters.
Clumps of Caulerpa macrophysa nestled in mangrove roots in Lac Bay, Bonaire. And a juvenile Butterfly fish.
Georgia holding two pieces of staghorn coral that will be used in out-planting 🪸
🍓Did you know North Carolina’s strawberries are facing a new threat? A mysterious pathogen is showing up in fields across the state. And researchers, like Dr. Orlando Arguello-Miranda, are working to find better, faster ways to detect and diagnose the disease.
🔎Neopestalotiopsis (Neo-P) is an emerging fungal disease that causes rapid plant decline and major losses for growers. Researchers are tracking how the disease spreads, refining diagnostic tools, and partnering with growers to develop management strategies that protect yields. Their efforts aim to safeguard North Carolina’s strawberry industry and strengthen disease preparedness for future seasons.
🔗Read more about the research being done on our website.
#NCSU #ThinkandDo #PlantBiology #Microbiology #Strawberry
💡Check out this new article written by Brianna Almeida, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Hawkes Lab, about the second annual Climate and Fungi Symposium at Duke University. Researchers, industry leaders, and public health experts came together to explore how climate change is reshaping fungal biology, agriculture, and human health.
🦠Professor Christine Hawkes shared her research on endophytes, the plant‑friendly fungi that help crops tolerate drought and other stresses expected to intensify with climate change. She also emphasized how surrounding vegetation shapes the microbial communities of crop plants, underscoring the importance of studying whole landscapes. Additional talks covered new fungicide technologies, trainee research, and how extreme weather events are shifting patterns of fungal disease in humans.
👉Read more about this symposium and the insights shared by participating scientists in the full article on our website.
#ThinkandDo #NCSU #PlantBiology #Microbiology
