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News

Two fisted hands showing off tattoos

Have Tattoos? New Study Shows People Consistently Misjudge Your Personality

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.
Duncan Boren posing for a headshot

Directionally Challenged Proteins Lead to Eye and Neurological Disease

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.
Paramecium Bursaria Cell

Recreating an Important Moment on the Evolutionary Timescale

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.
A petri dish showing subjects

Biofilms and the Search for Life Beyond Earth

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.
Solar System Diagram

First Scientific Paper on 3I/ATLAS Interstellar Object

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.
Colorful line up of lithium batteries

MSU Researchers Develop Wood-Based Material That Improves Safety and Life of Lithium-Ion Batteries

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.
A large cargo ship carrying colorful shipping containers

MSU Study Unpacks How 2025 Tariffs Shocked Global Supply Chain

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.
RFID Scan tag

RFID Isn’t Just for Tracking Inventory: New MSU Research Shows It Secures Drug Supply Chain

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.
Announcements
MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory names Brandizzi as next director
Michigan State University Research Foundation Professor Federica Brandizzi has been named the next director of the MSU-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, or PRL.
Yumibe Named a Research Foundation Professor
In recognition of his influential scholarship in film and media studies and his contributions to Michigan State University’s research mission, Joshua Yumibe has been named an MSU Research Foundation Professor. He is among just four MSU faculty members to earn this prestigious designation in 2025.
Liu Awarded Young Investigator Award for Making AI Safer
Sijia Liu, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), was presented the Aharon Katzir Young Investigator Award from International Neural Network Society (INNS) during its 2025 joint conference in Rome, Italy, in early July.
Barton Named Fellow of the Electrochemical Society
Scott Calabrese Barton of Michigan State University has joined a renowned group of 12 experts in the U.S. and abroad as a Fellow in The Electrochemical Society (ECS). A professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (ChEMS), he was selected in recognition of his technological and service contributions to the society.
Sant’Ambrogio Elected to American Law Institute
Michigan State University College of Law Dean Michael Sant’Ambrogio has been elected to the American Law Institute, or ALI, one of the nation’s most respected organizations dedicated to clarifying and improving the law.
Ferguson Receives National Ubuntu Award From LSAC
Mary Ann Ferguson, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Equity Services at Michigan State University College of Law, has received the 2025 Camille deJorna Ubuntu Award from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).