Nicholas Houghton can’t remember a time when he wasn’t fascinated by astronauts and human space flight. “Throughout my entire life there was one focus,” he says. “I’m going to work for NASA.” What he hadn’t imagined was that one day he’d help design the systems that could keep astronauts safe on a mission around the moon. …
The potatoes behind America’s potato chips are getting an upgrade. Researchers at Michigan State University have developed five new potato varieties designed to help strengthen the U.S. chip supply by improving disease resistance, long-term storage and processing reliability. The varieties — Manistee, Mackinaw, Petoskey, Huron Chipper and Blackberry — are the result of more than …
Imagine holding a miniature, beating human heart in the palm of your hand—not a metaphor, but a real, living mini-heart grown from stem cells. That’s not science fiction. It’s science fact, and it’s happening thanks to a powerful partnership between Michigan State University (MSU) and CytoHub Inc., a biotech company poised to revolutionize cardiac research, drug development, and regenerative medicine. In the world of biomedical innovation, the journey from discovery to …
New research finds that exposure to PFAS may weaken the immune system in adults, raising new concerns about the long-term health effects of these widely used chemicals. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a large class of human-made chemicals used in products ranging from nonstick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics to firefighting foams. Often called “forever …
EAST LANSING, Mich. — PAWPrint Concepts, a first-of-its-kind early childhood literacy assessment developed by Michigan State University researchers, will make its national conference debut at the 2026 National Head Start Conference & Expo, May 4–7 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Designed to identify print concepts and knowledge gaps in children ages 3–5 (a critical predictor of reading …
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the most attended tournament in history. According to FIFA, global excitement surrounding the event is already brimming with more than 5 million fans expected to attend the tournament’s 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 6 billion more engaging with …
Hearing tests administered to most newborn babies in Michigan could hold clues to which ones might later be diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder. Such a finding could identify at-risk children who could benefit from early interventions, and support their participation in family, school, and community activities, said Nicole Talge, a College of …
Three Michigan State University graduate students were selected for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research program. The award provides world-class training and access to state-of-the-art facilities at DOE national laboratories, preparing the next generation of scientists for roles of critical importance to the nation’s energy, science and national innovation priorities. The Science …
Nine Michigan State University researchers have been elected 2025 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, one of the world’s largest and most respected scientific societies. Ann Austin, Gary Blanchard, Shi-you Ding, Dean Lee, Hui Li, Elena Litchman, James McCusker, Dohun Pyeon and Elise Zipkin are being recognized for their work in education, chemistry, cancer studies, biological and medical sciences, …
For a decade, Jane Hiske lived in denial of her diabetes diagnosis. “I watched my own brother start out with just a sore on his foot. He had to have part of his foot taken off. Then the toes had to come off with another surgery. They ended up taking him at the knee. That’s when it …
