To help crops battle pests, disease, and environmental stress, farmers often turn to broad chemical sprays simply because plants have few natural defenses.
Angela Chen, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University, studies how microbes and plants naturally communicate. She then turns those insights into new ways for crops to protect themselves.
Chen and her team uncover the chemical and RNA messages that microbes exchange above and below ground, design nanomaterials that imitate those messages, and build microbes that deliver protective cues directly to plants or pathogens. By strengthening crops from within, her group aims to reduce the heavy reliance on pesticides and fertilizers.
The approach replaces broad chemical treatments with targeted biological guidance. Instead of spraying a field, microbes can be ‘coached’ to warn plants about approaching disease or help them withstand heat, drought, or nutrient shortages.
The nanomaterials, made from sustainable plant waste, can amplify these signals or stabilize them long enough for crops to respond. Together, these systems boost plant resilience while keeping beneficial organisms, pollinators, and waterways safer.
If scaled, this work could help farmers maintain yields with fewer inputs, reduce runoff, and build healthier soils over time. By tapping into nature’s own communication networks, Chen is creating a path toward cleaner, more sustainable agriculture that supports food security without sacrificing environmental health.
To explore Chen’s work in more depth, visit:
- Improving RNA-based crop protection through nanotechnology and insights from cross-kingdom RNA trafficking(opens in new window) [Article]
- Fungal small RNAs ride in extracellular vesicles to enter plant cells through clathrin-mediated endocytosis(opens in new window) [Article]
- Cross-kingdom RNA trafficking from bacteria to fungi enables plant protection against fungal pathogens(opens in new window) [Article]
- Fungal small RNAs ride in extracellular vesicles to enter plant cells through clathrin-mediated endocytosis(opens in new window) [Article]
- Artificial nanovesicles for dsRNA delivery in spray‐induced gene silencing for crop protection(opens in new window) [Article]
This article was sourced from the College of Engineering.
Opportunities for Partnership
The MSU Innovation Center is seeking companies and organizations interested in sustainable agriculture, biopesticide alternatives, and nanomaterial crop protection solutions.
Whether you’re exploring sponsored research, licensing opportunities, or co-developing RNA-based plant protection, engineered beneficial microbes, or biodegradable delivery nanomaterials, we’re ready to collaborate.
Interested in partnering with MSU faculty on agricultural biotechnology research and next-generation sustainable crop protection solutions?
Visit innovationcenter.msu.edu or contact us to start the conversation.
About the MSU Innovation Center
The MSU Innovation Center is Michigan State University’s hub for corporate partnerships, technology commercialization, and startup support. By integrating MSU Technologies, Business Connect, and Spartan Innovations, the Center transforms groundbreaking research into real-world impact. Each year, the Innovation Center helps launch more than 130 discoveries into patented products and startup ventures, advancing economic development and improving lives locally and globally. Through strategic collaborations with faculty, industry, and investors, the Center accelerates innovation from concept to market—empowering Spartans to lead in entrepreneurship, research translation, and public-private partnerships. Learn more at innovationcenter.msu.edu