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Curiosity Guides 2026 Keller Award Winners

PMB News

Student presents on a TEDxNCState stage, with a plant image projected behind her.

Jul 24, 2026

NC State Grad Student Takes 3D Printed Plants to Center Stage

Stephanie Stewart, a Ph.D. student in biomathematics, shares fresh perspectives from the frontlines of research to advance 3D bioprinting of plants. 
A group of teachers examine stalks in a cornfield and take notes.

Jul 15, 2026

Planting an Interest in Agricultural Careers Through High School Biology

A new grant-funded project at NC State University will offer fresh ideas that North Carolina high school biology teachers can implement with confidence in the classroom, inspired by field trips to farms, plant nurseries and agricultural labs. 
A woman in scuba gear points to a tree of coral attached to a buoy.

Jul 7, 2026

Diving into Plant Biology

When the word plant comes to mind, most people think of trees, flowers or grasses. However, that definition excludes the many aquatic plants found worldwide. Plant biology major, Georgia Varani,… 
Man standing in a farm field holds up red plastic pails full of fresh strawberries

Jun 30, 2026

NC State Fights an Emerging Strawberry Threat

N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative affiliates, NC State Extension specialists and other researchers are working on multiple fronts in the fight against a new disease taking a big bite out of North Carolina’s strawberry producers’ livelihoods. 
The keynote speakers and symposium organizers smile and stand together in a staircase landing.

Jun 25, 2026

Preparing for Extreme Weather with Fungi at the Duke Climate and Fungi Symposium

As climate change increases drought stress on crops and the incidence of fungal diseases affecting agriculture and human health, it is unknown which factors of fungal biology will be the… 
A group of people kneel around a patch of green plants with yellow flowers.

Jun 23, 2026

A Day in the Field with the Sheth Lab

Although many students are away for the summer, our labs don’t shut down; instead some have moved into the field. A team from the lab of Associate Professor Seema Sheth is busy tracking over 3,500 plants throughout their growing season. 

Jun 18, 2026

Microbial Partners May Help Plants Respond to Higher Temperatures

New research suggests the microbiome near the surface of a plant’s roots, known as the rhizosphere microbiome, may play a role in helping crops respond to heat stress. When studying adaptation in living things, scientists sometimes analyze the interplay between genetics and environment to influence measurable traits, a phenomenon known as Genotype by Environment interactions… 
A woman smiles as she sticks a cord into an empty beaker in a lab.

Jun 4, 2026

NC Space Grant Announces New Graduate Research Fellows for the 2026-2027 Year

North Carolina Space Grant is proud to announce 16 graduate research fellows for 2026-2027. These students, including our very own Isabella Borrero, will conduct science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research to benefit NASA Mission Directorates. 
Two people pipette and examine samples in a laboratory.

May 26, 2026

Lessons from Collard Greens: Celebrating Connections between Food & Place and Protecting the Invisible Helpers Below

GOHA's Local Engagement Seed Grants have supported NC State students, postdocs, faculty, and staff in multiple One Health-relevant local engagement projects. One supported project, led by Mallory Choudoir, explores the ecological relationships between soil microbes and heirloom collard cultivation. 
Two people hold plaques next to the dean.

May 19, 2026

Curiosity Guides 2026 Keller Award Winners

Doctoral graduates Anna Yaschenko and Junjian Wang knew early on that genetics would be part of their future. In NC State labs, their innovative research earned them recognition as the 2026 recipients of the Kenneth R. Keller Research Award.