On the Vine - April

A New Era

Danforth Center president, Dr. Giles Oldroyd, has been making his St. Louis debut. Along with his recent interview on 90.7’s St. Louis on the Air, he was also the keynote speaker at Seeds of Change last month, where he presented his vision for how plant science can create a better world. Watch the full recording here.

The Big Algae Discovery

Danforth Center researchers have solved a long-standing mystery of how algae rewire their metabolism to grow faster when given access to light and a carbon source. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this finding has broad implications in the development of algae as renewable fuel, bioproduct, and biomass. Read more.

Unlocking Photosynthesis Secrets

Dr. Ru Zhang will lead a new five-year project to improve how sorghum captures and manages energy through photosynthesis. With support from the Department of Energy, the team aims to generate knowledge, drawn from sorghum’s unique traits, that can bring about more resilient, higher-yielding crops. Read more.

Katie Murphy and Nadia Shakoor in the Danforth Center Phenotyping Facility.

Outstanding St. Louis Scientists

Two Danforth Center principal investigators were honored by the Academy of Science – St. Louis at their recent awards ceremony. Dr. Katie Murphy received the Science Educator Award, and Dr. Nadia Shakoor received the inaugural Innovation Award—recognizing individuals for turning scientific knowledge, discoveries, or inventions into practical applications. Read more.

Malia Gehan with Keith Slotkin and Noah Fahlgren in a Danforth Center growth chamber.

Seeing Stress Before It Strikes

The lab of Dr. Malia Gehan studies how plants cope with temperature extremes—gathering insights that could help breeders develop crops that thrive under stressful conditions. Assisting them is the image analysis toolkit Malia developed with Dr. Noah Fahlgren: PlantCV, which has now been utilized by scientists worldwide. Read more.

Double Your Impact | Give STL Day | May 7

By making a gift to the Danforth Center for Give STL Day, you can help feed the world, protect our planet, and support our region. As a bonus, your gift will be matched, dollar for dollar up to $1,000 while funds last. Early giving begins on April 22.