MSU College of Natural Science

06/01/2026

Dean's Research Scholar Benjamin Nketsiah is working to improve access to healthcare pathways for those with breast cancer.

Benjamin Nketsiah's internship last summer at Henry Ford Health gave him greater understanding of what inclusion in health care research looks like. He transcribed focus group discussions with Ghanaian women, hearing their perspectives surrounding the stigma of cancer. In response to what he observed, he developed a mobile health platform called She's Strong to help bridge some of the gaps in care. Read more.
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2026/05/student-view-benjamin-nketsiah

05/30/2026

MSU Scientists are looking beyond the mouse to cure human disease.

For decades, medical science has relied almost entirely on mice to study human health. But did you know that more than 80% of potential treatments that work in mice end up failing in human trials?

Researchers at Michigan State University College of Natural Science are looking at the bigger picture. By exploring Earth’s incredible biodiversity, Spartan scientists are opening up a whole new library of medical answers.

Here is a quick look at the unique animal models being studied right now in East Lansing:

🟢Brown Bears & Diabetes: Every fall, brown bears gain massive amounts of weight and become completely inactive for six months. In a human, this would cause Type II diabetes and severe heart issues. Yet, bears emerge every spring perfectly healthy. The Perry Lab is studying their genes to find new ways to treat human metabolic diseases.

🟢Electric Fish & Tissue Repair: The Gallant Lab is studying how electric fish can naturally rewire their muscles and control cells, which could lead to breakthroughs in human tissue regeneration.

🟢 "Living Fossil" Fish: The Braasch Lab uses the spotted gar—a fish that has changed very little since the time of the dinosaurs, to trace the ancient evolutionary roots of human genetic diseases.

🟢 Water Fleas & Disease Ecology: Dr. Nina Wale is using transparent water fleas to see exactly how diseases spread and react to their environment in real time.

🟢Pitcher Plants & Gut Health: Dr. Kadeem Gilbert studies tropical pitcher plants, which use the exact same stomach-acid mechanisms as humans to digest food. Because these plants share similar gut bacteria with humans, researchers can use them to safely test how digestive issues (like acid reflux) or medications affect the microbiome, without the need for invasive human medical testing.

By investing in new technology and computational tools, MSU is building a world-class research network where computing meets conservation. Scientists are proving that the more we understand the extremes of nature, the better we can understand our own health.

Read the full story on the NatSci website: https://natsci.msu.edu/news/2026/2026-05-moving-past-the-mouse.aspx

05/29/2026

05/26/2026

Spartan scientists are using AI to build a real-world warning system for biological threats.

Proteins aren't rigid structures. They are constantly twisting, vibrating, and changing shapes like tiny machines. Right now, if an unknown virus or a dangerous "designer protein" emerges, figuring out exactly what it does to the human body takes weeks of massive supercomputing.

That’s where Michigan State University's Team Green comes in.

A team of five Spartan researchers has received $1.1 million from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (the government’s advanced research agency) to use artificial intelligence to analyze how proteins move in real time.

The goal? To create a tool that can look at a mystery protein's movements and figure out exactly what it does, shrinking our global response time to new biological threats from months down to just hours.

As biochemistry professor Alex Dickson said : "Imagine being able to detect new molecules in the environment and know immediately whether they are a threat...You almost picture something from Star Trek."

Read how they’re doing it: https://natsci.msu.edu/news/2026/05-2026-msu-darpa-nodes-biothreat-prediction.aspx

05/17/2026

College of Natural Science Dean Eric Hegg took the Spartan Bus Tour with MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and a group of university leaders all across Flint and the bay region.

The group met with local partners, visited key sites and explored MSU's impact in the region, along with new opportunities for collaboration.

"Throughout the tour I was reminded how important it is for universities to listen and engage. The communities we visited are filled with people doing innovative and impactful work, and there is tremendous value in building relationships that allow us to learn from one another. The exchange of ideas, experiences and perspectives is what strengthens both our university and the communities we serve."
-- Dean Eric Hegg

Read more: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2026/05/spartan-spirit-across-michigan

05/14/2026

A warm Spartan thank you to everyone who joined us today to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the newly renovated Plant Science Greenhouses.

It was an exciting moment to come together across the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the MSU College of Natural Science to mark what this space makes possible for our community today, and for the future of plant science. These greenhouses will serve as a research and teaching hub for more than 70 faculty and 600 students.

MSU College of Natural Science Dean, Eric Hegg, shared how this investment will support ongoing research:

"This new facility supports research 12 months a year. By maintaining stable growing conditions regardless of Michigan’s outdoor climate and seasonal changes, breeding programs can more effectively develop new varieties of wheat, beans, blueberries, and other Michigan crops.

This work goes far beyond basic science in isolation. It connects directly to Michigan agriculture, where understanding how plants respond to real-world stressors is critical to improving crop yield, stability, and long-term food security. Much of this research is focused on developing plants that can better withstand the challenges of a changing climate and evolving pest pressures.

The ability to recreate those environmental conditions here on campus allows our researchers to study these challenges with greater accuracy, consistency, and control throughout the year. "

We are grateful for the partners who made this space possible, and for the work that will grow from it.

Michigan State University Office of the President
MSU Research Foundation

05/07/2026

The 2026 Spring Baccalaureate Commencement photos are here! Take a look 🤩https://www.flickr.com/photos/msunatsci/albums/72177720333517721

05/06/2026

We are proud to share that Professor Thomas O’Halloran has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He joins a historic roster of members that includes Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Charles Darwin.

O’Halloran is an MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor in the departments of Chemistry and Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology.

His research in inorganic chemistry has led to the development of drugs targeting fungal infections and Wilson’s disease. He’s also made new discoveries in the role of metals in fertilization, and new cancer therapies based on his work are in clinical trials.

“Tom has been a tremendous asset to Michigan State University since he arrived five years ago,” College of Natural Science Dean Eric Hegg said. “He’s done so much in the physiology of metals in cells. His research in metals and cancer therapies continues our college’s longstanding legacy in the fight against the disease, and also continues what Barney Rosenberg started with cisplatin nearly 50 years ago. I’m thrilled to see him honored with this well-deserved recognition.”

Congratulations, Dr. O'Halloran! 💚 🤍