Robin Ann Smith

Why ancient grasslands, once plowed, don’t grow back the same. Michigan State University, Aug. 24, 2026. When a 10,000-year-old prairie is plowed up to plant corn or a savanna is consumed by a strip mall, these once-grassy expanses, if left to regrow, can eventually look vaguely like they did before. But a growing body of research suggests that what comes back isn’t the same as what was lost, even decades later. And now scientists are starting to understand why.

How well do past extinctions predict extinction risk today? Michigan State University, Aug. 19, 2026. If 1 in 4 mammals are on track for extinction, which species will be next? A study of extinction patterns among 210 species of tropical forest mammals worldwide shows that, when deciding which species need protecting, extinction risk factors of the past can be powerful — but they’re not perfect. Also featured on Earth.com and Bioengineer.org.

Mutation hotspots help ‘friendly’ viruses outmaneuver the bacteria in your gut. Michigan State University, Aug. 13, 2026. Could we harness their chameleon-like nature to treat infections when antibiotics don’t work? Also featured on Yahoo! News, Euronews and MSN.

These scientists are lowering barriers to big data from space. Michigan State University, July 29, 2026. By combining satellite data captured from space with measurements of plants and animals taken on the ground, researchers hope to better predict where species are likely to thrive in the years to come. Also featured on MSUToday.

Student takes 3D printed plants to center stage. North Carolina State University, July 24, 2026. Scientists have managed to 3D print human skin, blood vessels, ears, even a cornea from living cells. But we still can’t 3D print, say, a cornstalk or a carrot. This team is trying to change that.

It’s disturbingly easy to trick AI into seeing aliens. Michigan State University, July 6, 2026. Researchers fooled a deep learning algorithm into seeing signs of life where there were none. Picked up by Popular Science, IFLScience, Earth.com, Mashable, OECD.AI Policy Observatory, Space.com, MSU Today and Yahoo Tech.

Could a controversial cooling strategy save our fisheries and coral reefs from marine heat waves? Michigan State University, June 11, 2026. Maybe. But the benefits wouldn’t be felt everywhere, researchers find. Picked up by MSU Today, Earth.com, the Daily Mail, and India’s Eastern Herald.

190,000 baby trees in 25 years. Michigan State University, May 26, 2026. A seedling census offers clues to what the future might hold for Michigan forests. Also featured in Bridge Magazine and MSU Today.

Ripe for the picking. CALS News, May 13, 2026. NC State researchers are working with blueberry growers on a more precise way to decide when to harvest, using computer vision and AI.

How “digital twins” could help predict the fate of a forest. Michigan State University, May 4, 2026. Researchers are developing ways to test forest management strategies in simulations before deploying them in the real world. Also featured on GeoConnexion, WDET Detroit Public Radio and MSU Today. 

Giants that vanished 10,000 years ago triggered ripple effects that are still felt today. Michigan State University, April 27, 2026. Giant beasts like mammoths and saber-toothed tigers once roamed the Americas but then they vanished. New research shows how they reshaped food webs for the species that remained. Featured in The Independent, Yahoo News, AOL.com, Earth.com, Nautilus and Popular Science.

Uncovering the secret to Australia’s truffle industry. Michigan State University, April 17, 2026. Truffles have fewer microbial competitors in Australia’s soils compared with Europe’s, study finds. Featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Yahoo! News, Aol.com and The Guardian.

From decades-long studies of humble grasses, new clues to climate resistance. Michigan State University, April 7, 2026. Nearly 40 years of data on Midwestern prairies reveal that coping with weather extremes isn’t just a numbers game. Highlighted in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Global warming may be a boon for this aggressive prairie plant. Michigan State University, April 6, 2026. New study aims to predict the future of insect damage in a warming climate. Picked up by Earth.com.

The science of thriving in a chaotic world. Michigan State University, March 23, 2026. Climate resilience helps ecosystems survive, but it doesn’t always help them thrive. So researchers asked: could some living things not just weather storms, but emerge stronger on the other side? Picked up by Earth.com.

Not your average greenhouse. CALS News, March 11, 2026. The 24-foot-tall glass and steel behemoth that sits atop the Plant Sciences Building on NC State’s Centennial Campus might look like an ordinary greenhouse. But inside the computer-controlled facility, researchers work year-round to tackle some of the biggest challenges farmers face from diseases, pests and extreme weather.

A fanged frog long thought to be one species is revealing itself to be several. Michigan State University, March 3, 2026. They raise some tough questions for protecting biodiversity in the evolutionary “gray zone,” says MSU herpetologist Chan Kin Onn. Picked up by the Miami Herald, Woman’s World, Nautilus, Earth.com, AOL.com, the Charlotte Observer and Yahoo News.

Meet the superhero farm robots in training. CALS News, Jan. 22, 2026. Get a first look at the robotic field hands that could help grow your next salad.

By changing their habits, many animals still hanging on in the face of warming. Michigan State University, Jan. 20, 2026. Researchers explore what makes some species better equipped to survive the climate crisis.

Get ready for your aging checkup. Duke Magazine, Fall 2025. Some people age earlier and faster than others. If they could figure out why, researchers reasoned, perhaps they could use that information to slow the process down. But first they needed a way to measure it.

Bat besties start to sound alike over time. Michigan State University, Nov. 30, 2025. What scientists are learning from the secret language of bat friendships. Picked up by Nautilus, Smithsonian Magazine, A-Z Animals, The Wildlife Society and Yahoo News.

Michigan cherry farmers find a surprising food safety ally: falcons. Michigan State University, Nov. 27, 2025. By keeping hungry birds — and their droppings — off farmers’ fruit, kestrels could help in more ways than one. Picked up by Vox, Le Monde, Yahoo News, Earth.com, Nautilus, ZME Science, MLive, Inside Climate News, The Microbiologist and Popular Science. 

Folklore sheds light on ancient Indian savannas. Michigan State University, Nov. 25, 2025. Nearly 40% of the land on Earth is covered not by forests, or ice, but by vast expanses of open grasslands. Now, scientists are turning to an untapped source to uncover their history: centuries-old folklore. Picked up by Smithsonian Magazine, Yahoo News, Nautilus, The Debrief, Times of India and India Today.

Unlocking the untapped potential in heirloom corn. CALS News, Oct. 10, 2025. Researchers say a collection of rare maize varieties that were nearly lost to history could help protect the future of America’s biggest crop. Featured in Successful Farming.

Baby babble and the malleable brain. Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Sept. 3, 2025. Scientists are untangling the mystery of how babies learn to communicate – by studying the brains of monkeys who share the power of babble. Picked up by Earth.com.