The Center for Plant Science Innovation (PSI) is an interdisciplinary research and training program in the basic plant sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Outstanding research facilities and an interdisciplinary graduate program complement an excellent group of faculty with research strengths in several areas of plant biology research.
Faculty research emphases include
plant-microbe interactions, plant signaling and organellar biology, abiotic and biotic stress responses, and genomics/proteomics. The George W. Beadle Center for Genetics Research affords state of the art research facilities and an array of core facilities, including proteomics, genomics, plant transformation, microscopy, bioinfomatics and flow cytometry, to provide student and postdoctoral trainees with a phenomenal environment in which to conduct research.
The plant research community at UNL allows for a host of productive collaborations and outstanding postdoctoral opportunities. These include plant breeding programs that incorporate modern technologies for crop improvement, an excellent ecology and evolution group that integrates an understanding of plant function to their natural environment, and an array of faculty investigating the food safety, environmental impact, and economic implications of agricultural biotechnology.
Recent News
Mackenzie named 2013 ASPB Fellow
(April 2013) Dr. Sally Mackenzie has been named a 2013 Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). The Fellow of ASPB award was established in 2007 to recognize distinguished and long-term contributions to plant biology and service to the Society by current members in areas including research, education, and professional and public service. Dr. Mackenzie has served on numerous ASPB committees including the Executive Committee (2007 to present), the Public Affairs Committee (2009-present), and the Publications Committee, which she has chaired since 2006 and also on the editorial board of Plant Physiology.
Special Recognition
Special recognition to Dr. Ray Chollet, Professor Emeritus, who was also named a 2013 Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) and to Dr. Brian Larkins, Associate Vice Chancellor for Life Sciences, who is the recipient of the 2013 Stephen Hales Prize.NSF award aids Basset's coenzyme Q research
(December 2012) Nearly all organisms — from animals and plants to many bacteria — require the micronutrient ubiquinone, or coenzyme Q, for survival. Humans produce it in their bodies and consume it in their diets. But scientists don’t understand how cells produce this vital compound.
Gilles Basset, an assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture, is using a new approach to study this elusive nutrient. His research may lead to improving human health. A faculty member in UNL’s Center for Plant Science Innovation, Basset studies how plants synthesize and metabolize chemicals beneficial to health.
He’s expanding his ubiquinone research with a five-year, $784,820 Faculty Early Career Development Program, or CAREER Award, from the National Science Foundation. This prestigious award helps outstanding pre-tenure faculty develop as teacher-scholars and researchers.
“We know that they are very important, but we don’t understand how living organisms make these compounds,” Basset said of ubiquinones. “Understanding how they are made will allow us to, for instance, improve plant-based food.”
Read more about Dr. Basset's ubiquinone research at Today@UNL.