A breakthrough by a collaboration between Rutgers and Brookhaven National Laboratory could improve crop resilience In a discovery three decades in the making, scientists at Rutgers and Brookhaven National Laboratory have acquired detailed knowledge about the internal structures and mode of regulation for a specialized protein and are proceeding to develop tools that can capitalize […]
Plant Biology
Plant Breeders Stage a Dogwood Revolution, Creating Hardy Varieties That Sparkle
With the advent of Memorial Day, the treescape in the Northeast has turned mostly green again, the ornamentals’ early spring flowers long dried and scattered. But there’s an exception. The vivid pink Scarlet Fire® dogwood tree, produced through decades of research by Rutgers University-New Brunswick plant breeders, is just starting to bloom. Introduced to consumers […]
Rutgers Hosts 34th Annual Turfgrass Symposium
The 34th Annual Rutgers Turfgrass Symposium hosted on March 20 by the Center for Turfgrass Science provided Rutgers faculty, students, staff, as well as national and international participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas and encourage collaboration on research topics in turfgrass science. The symposium featured presentations on modern approaches to research in turfgrass science […]
Not Mushroom for Debate – “The Last of Us” Spores Interest in Mycological Research
In the HBO hit series, The Last of Us, a global pandemic fueled by a mutated Cordyceps fungus turns people into zombies – a scenario seemingly realistic to anyone who watched nature documentaries under quarantine. While Cordyceps is a real fungus that affects insects, famously seen parasitizing ants in BBC’s Planet Earth hijacking their brains […]
Scientists Witness Plant Cells Generate Cellulose and Form Cell Walls for First Time
In a discovery with potential practical applications, a team of Rutgers biophysicists, bioengineers and plant biologists capture first live images In a groundbreaking study on the synthesis of cellulose – a major constituent of all plant cell walls – a team of Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers has captured images of the microscopic process of cell-wall […]
Micronesia’s Pohnpei State Endorses Landmark Food Security Policy Developed in Collaboration with SEBS Science Team
The expansive Pacific Island nation of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is taking bold steps to develop sustainable local food production with support from an interdisciplinary food system science team from the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Pohnpei State is home to FSM’s most biodiverse ecosystems that includes many endemic species and […]
Turfgrass Pathologist Ming-Yi Chou Wins Merle V. Adams Award
Ming-Yi Chou, turfgrass pathologist in the Department of Plant Biology, has won the 2024–2025 Merle V. Adams Award, which is presented to an assistant extension specialist faculty for excellence in extension and research. His extension program focuses on evaluating and developing efficient cool season turfgrass disease management measures. Since it was first presented in 1987, […]
Bergen County Agent Joel Flagler (CC’74) Retires after 38-Year Career at Rutgers
Joel Flagler, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in Bergen County and professor in the Department of Plant Biology, retires effective March 1. Flagler, whose Rutgers journey began as a student – he holds a degree in horticulture from Cook College in 1974 – leaves a deep legacy at his alma mater. […]
Thomas Molnar (CC’00; GSNB’06): Alumnus, Faculty, Star Plant Breeder
Cook College alumnus Thomas Molnar came to Rutgers University in the 90s, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in plant science in 2000, then a Ph.D. in plant biology in 2006. Now an associate professor of plant biology at SEBS, Molnar has cultivated a reputation for innovative research of hazelnut trees. Ferrero Group, the famed Italian […]
Plant Biology Professor James White and Team Recognized by Rutgers with Agriculture Innovation Award
James White, Professor in the Department of Plant Biology, was presented with the Agriculture Innovation Award for “innovations regarding endophytic microbes with applications in agriculture” at the first-ever Rutgers Innovation Awards that recognized researchers who have demonstrated excellence by developing a breakthrough idea, process, or technology that has the potential to improve lives and create […]