News

A new study led by Michigan State University provides insights into the personality perceptions surrounding tattooed individuals. As tattoos become more mainstream, this research sheds light on how specific tattoos are judged — and shows how wrong those judgements can be.

New research shows that important proteins in the human body need to be positioned correctly at their workstation to do their job. Graduate student Duncan Boren was awarded the 2025 Keegstra and Thomashow Travel Award for this research.

A new project is underway that could help researchers have a better understanding of an important piece of Earth’s evolutionary history. Evidence has shown that the chloroplast evolved 2.1 billion years ago through endosymbiosis, wherein one organism lives inside another.

In a study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, researchers from Michigan State University explored how some of the planet’s most ancient and resilient life forms, microbial biofilms, survive in extremely harsh environments. These structured communities may hold the key to understanding how life could survive and be detected on other planets.

When the news started to spread on July 1, 2025, about a new object that was spotted from outside our solar system, only the third of its kind ever known, astronomers at Michigan State University — along with a team of international researchers — turned their telescopes to capture data on the new celestial sighting.

For consumers worried about the risks associated with using lithium-ion batteries — which are used in everything from phones to laptops to electric vehicles — Michigan State University has discovered that a natural material found in wood can improve battery safety while also improving the battery’s life.

In the wake of the largest series of U.S. tariff hikes since 1930, a new study from Michigan State University explores how this economic shock is reshaping global supply chains and offers a framework to help researchers and policymakers make sense of the chaos. The study was recently published in the Journal of Supply Chain Management.

New MSU-led research shows how real-time tracking using RFID can fight counterfeit drugs, protect patients, and help pharmaceutical companies meet new federal security standards. The breakthrough pilot, led by the Axia Institute, proves RFID’s potential for total traceability, from production to pharmacy.