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News

A graphic of the Earth in deep space

Bringing Dark Comets to Light

Darryl Seligman, a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Natural Science’s top-ranked Department of Physics and Astronomy, is the lead author on a paper that uncovers seven new dark comets in our solar system.
A graphic of immune cells

Reprogramming Immune Cells to Decrease Rejection of Medical Implants

When it comes to medical implants, Michigan State University researchers have discovered that using a drug that is a metabolic inhibitor performs like an opening act and makes the body more receptive to medical devices such as pacemakers, replacement joints and dental implants.
Two people reviewing an ultrasound picture

Worried About a Pregnant Woman’s Stress and Mental Health? Her Saliva May Hold the Key

New research out of Michigan State University found that the number and type of microbes present in the saliva of pregnant women differ according to whether they are experiencing life stress and symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Aphids on a plant

Uncovering Plant Resistance Through Aphids Saliva

Aphids are small yet mighty. In the right conditions, these tiny creatures can be among the most destructive insect pests to crops and cultivated plants, making understanding aphids’ feeding process crucial to the plant health field.
An aerial view of a city

Using Brain Activity to Predict Visits to Urban Areas

Researchers from Michigan State University are the first to measure brain activity to make predictions that could help inform enhanced urban planning and design that addresses the well-being of residents and visitors.
A research station in Antartica

MSU Team Helping Unlock Cosmic Mysteries in Antarctica

Roughly a year from now, scientists at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory will begin deploying more than 400 multi-photomultiplier digital optical modules, or mDOMS, deep inside a 1 billion-ton block of ice at the South Pole as part of the IceCube Upgrade — a feat powered in part by the work of a team from Michigan State University.
Many deer grazing on grass

New Research Could Pave the Way for a Vaccine Against a Deadly Wildlife Disease

Sean Crosson, a Professor Rudolph Hugh Endowed Chair in Michigan State University’s Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology, has been awarded a $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study the cause of the disease, Brucella abortus.
Two researchers wearing white coats in a plant lab

Walker Lab Researchers Find Trees Acclimate to Changing Temperatures

Researchers from the Walker lab at the Michigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, or PRL, are looking at how paper birch trees are acclimatizing to changing environments through how they manage a vital plant process called photorespiration.
Announcements
Jain to Help India Update National ID (Aadhaar) Innovation Roadmap
Anil Jain, University Distinguished Professor and the Douglas E. Zongker Endowed Professor of Engineering at Michigan State University, has joined a panel of experts for a strategic and technological upgrade of India’s digital identity platform.
Belin Joins MSU as the Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in North American Indian and Indigenous Literary Studies
A citizen of the Navajo Nation and an acclaimed poet, artist, and educator, Esther Belin joined Michigan State University this fall as the new Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in North American Indian and Indigenous Literary Studies in the Department of English. She is the second scholar to hold this position, following Gordon Henry, who retired in 2023 after serving as the inaugural Leslie Chair.
Basso Honored With Soil Science Research Award
Bruno Basso, a world-renowned expert in sustainable agriculture and precision agriculture systems, received the award Nov. 10 at the SSSA’s CANVAS conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Khalil Receives National ASME Medal for Lifetime Achievements
Hassan K. Khalil was presented the 2025 ASME Rufus Oldenburger Medal — the highest honor presented by ASME in the field of automatic control — during the ASME Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference in October in Pittsburgh, Penn.
Chavez Named Interim Director of Julian Samora Research Institute
Manuel Chavez, a professor in Michigan State University’s School of Journalism, has been named interim director of the Julian Samora Research Institute, or JSRI, effective early September 2025.