Seed Grants in Action: Research Making an Impact
Since its inception, PRI Seed Grant program has funded nine innovative proposals, awarding a total of $90,000 to advance plant resilience research. These high-risk, high-reward projects reflect the creativity and dedication of MSU graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, working collaboratively to push the boundaries of plant science. Each project embodies PRI’s mission to address critical challenges in plant resilience, fostering breakthroughs that contribute to sustainable solutions for agriculture and the environment.
Explore the groundbreaking work of our past awardees below and discover how PRI supports the next generation of plant scientists.
Past Award Recipients
A transgenic ecological approach to understanding anthocyanin function in a plant defense trait
- Sylvie Martin-Eberhardt (PI), NSF-GRFP Fellow, Department of Plant Biology (major), Ecology, Evolution & Behavior Program, Kellogg Biological Station, Plant Resilience Institute
- Madison Plunkert (Co-PI), Department of Plant Biology (major), Ecology, Evolution & Behavior Program, Plant Resilience Institute
Establishing the carnivorous genus Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) as a novel model system of plant resilience research
- Daniel Mok (PI), Department of Plant Biology (major), Kellogg Biological Station, Plant Resilience Institute
- Ian S. Gilman (Co-PI), NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Departments of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Plant Biology, Plant Resilience Institute
Genetic manipulation of isoprene synthase to improve soybean resilience to climate change
- Mohammad G. Mostofa (PI), Assistant Professor-Fixed Term, MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Plant Resilience Institute
Investigating the impact of the biological product on the interaction between soybean and the root-associated microbial community in the presence of drought stress
- Tri Tran (PI), Research Associate, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Plant Resilience Institute
- Danielle Hoffmann, Research Associate, Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Plant Biology, Plant Resilience Institute
Investigating the role(s) of plastoglobules in jasmonic acid biosynthesis and herbivore defense
- Shannon Donnelly (PI), Graduate Student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (major), Molecular Plant Science Program, Plant Resilience Institute
- Kiara Chalker, Professional Aide, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Plant Resilience Institute
- Bailey Kleven, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (major), Molecular Plant Science Program, MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Plant Resilience Institute
Unravelling the genetic basis of plant adaptation to hypoxia
- Hui-Kyong Cho (PI), Research Associate, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Plant Resilience Institute,
Developing single cell technologies to explore the spatial dynamics of CAM and C4 photosynthesis in Portulaca
- Ian S. Gilman (PI), NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Departments of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Plant Biology, Plant Resilience Institute
Investigating loss of genetic diversity in switchgrass, Panicum virgatum
- Andrew Bleich (PI), Graduate Student, Department of Plant Biology (major), Plant Resilience Institute
Transcriptional regulation of growth and chemical defense in Arabidopsis thaliana under a bacterial pathogen attack
- Kangmei Zhao (PI), Research Associate, Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Plant Biology, Plant Resilience Institute
- Danielle Hoffmann, Research Associate, Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Plant Biology, Plant Resilience Institute
- Jian Yao, Research Associate, MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Plant Resilience Institute