The cherry harvest wrapped up months ago. But in northern Michigan, some growers are already anticipating the spring resurgence of a tiny raptor that could benefit next season’s crop. The American kestrel is the smallest falcon in the U.S. As birds of prey, kestrels deter smaller birds that like to snack on farmers’ fruit. But new research suggests that these winged security guards may have an additional benefit: food safety.

Scientists have long known that bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but understanding what those differences mean has remained a major challenge, especially for species that can’t be grown in the lab. Now, a new study led by Nina Wale introduces a groundbreaking method that could change how researchers study bacterial diversity.

From after-school tutoring to STEM projects and community service, Michigan’s 21st Century Learning Centers give thousands of students a safe place to grow. A new $2.6M grant empowers MSU researchers to continue ensuring these programs truly make a difference.

A new international study has revealed chemical evidence of life in rocks more than 3.3 billion years old, indicating that oxygen-producing photosynthesis may have emerged nearly one billion years earlier than previously understood.

Each year, the world produces roughly 100 million tons of flexible multilayer plastic packaging — materials that keep food fresh and pharmaceuticals safe from moisture and oxygen. Yet most of these plastics are nearly impossible to recycle due to their complex, chemically incompatible layers. Michigan State University scientists have developed a new kind of plastic film that could change that.

In a new paper published in Current Biology, MSU Research Foundation Professor Seung Yon “Sue” Rhee and Research Specialist Karine Prado report that T. oblongifolia grows faster in Death Valley’s summer conditions by rapidly adjusting its photosynthetic system to withstand the heat.

As the 2026 midterm elections are around the corner, MSU’s Rx Kids program is associated with bolstering voter turnout and engagement as well as improving public health. According to new research supported by Rx Kids, a first-in-the-nation community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program, is strengthening civic engagement, especially among women of childbearing age.

When highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, first appeared in U.S. dairy cattle, it shocked the scientific community. The virus, long associated with birds, had crossed a species barrier no one anticipated. In Michigan, however, the response framework was already underway.