In fruit orchards, timing is critical. When labor is scarce or costly, fruit may remain unharvested, causing lost income and risking the relocation of specialty crop production from Michigan to regions with larger orchards and more workers. “If we don’t automate critical tasks quickly, crops will remain on trees or rot. Industries will leave, and so will our domestic …
Supporting sustainability is easy; implementing it is not. Companies have to juggle rising energy costs, stricter regulations, and pressure to cut carbon emissions, all while continuing to deliver reliable products and services. For Wei Liao, Professor at Michigan State University’s (MSU) Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering, the challenge is making sustainability work at scale. “I work on …
A team of scientists at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences have uncovered a mechanism that allows certain head and neck cancers to hide from the immune system, a discovery that could change how some of the most treatment resistant tumors are approached. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of …
EAST LANSING, Mich. — As conversations continue to build among policymakers and industry leaders on how to best address nutrient runoff, energy transition and sustainable waste management in the Great Lakes region, Michigan State University scientists are pioneering solutions that transform organic waste into a public asset. On May 15, George Smith, director of MSU AgBioResearch, and Wei Liao, …
Inside the diseased cell, the genes are in chaos. Some are receiving signals to overproduce a protein. Others are reducing activity to abnormal levels. Up is down and down is up. The right molecule could restore order, reversing dysregulation in specific genes. But finding the ideal compound could require examining millions of chemicals for their …
EAST LANSING, Mich. — In 2016, California was in the midst of the most severe drought in its recorded history. In addition to a strain on water resources, these conditions presented a significant problem for the state’s forests. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, more than 100 million trees died during this period. …
Listeria is the third-leading cause of death among bacterial foodborne pathogens in the U.S., and pregnant individuals bear a disproportionate share of that risk. Yet the scientific models used to set food safety policy have rarely been designed with pregnant people specifically in mind. A new Michigan State University study to be published in Risk …
ST. JOHNS, Mich. — Processing billions of pounds of milk each year leaves little margin for error. At MWC, a state-of-the-art cheese and whey protein manufacturing facility in St. Johns, even minor disruptions in wastewater treatment can threaten production, environmental compliance and the livelihoods tied to Michigan’s dairy economy. Through a collaboration with Michigan State University AgBioResearch, the facility …
A new U.S.-Ireland research partnership, led by electrical engineering professors at Michigan State University, will work to improve wireless communications through location-specific “communications pockets” for more private, secure and efficient wireless communications. The project has the potential to improve next-generation wireless systems, like 5G and 6G. Mauro Ettorre, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, …
Microfluidic devices can reveal infections, track treatment response, and guide personalized therapies. They power many of today’s vital medical tests, but if the fluid hesitates or sticks to the surface, results can be skewed, take longer, and cost more to produce. Bei Fan, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University, and her …
