News and Highlights

General News Continued

• Plant Biology Graduate Students Win Awards at Annual Meeting of National Societies
• Artificial Intelligence-Guided Technology Could Replace Herbicides on East Coast Farms
• Celebrating Nicki Graf CC’77 and Her 37-Year Career of Cultivating Plants and People at Rutgers
• Distinguished Professor Eric Lam Awarded 2025 Agriculture Innovation Award
• Rutgers Turfgrass Research Field Days, July 29–30, 2025
• Flying High to Find Drought-Resistant Grass
• Scientists Uncover DNA Secrets to Bolster Corn Crop Traits
• Not Mushroom for Debate – “The Last of Us” Spores Interest in Mycological Research
• Plant Breeders Stage a Dogwood Revolution, Creating Hardy Varieties That Sparkle
• Rutgers Botanist Builds Bridge Between Science and Art in MoMA Exhibit on Hilma af Klint
• NJ State Senate Resolution Recognizes Rutgers SEBS Immersive Learning through Science Storytelling Lab for Increasing Public Trust in Science

Publications

• Pang, Z., Liu, H., Liu, Q., and Lam, E. 2025. Plant metacaspases orchestrate wound-induced pathways for immunity and tissue regeneration. The Plant Journal, 124(4), e70531. doi: 10.1111/tpj.70531
• Zhang, X., Rossi, S., Zhuang, L., Dodd, I.C., Huang, B. 2025. Stress priming mechanisms that enhance plant high temperature tolerance. Environmental and Experimental Botany. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106208
• Seidel, D. K. 2025. Intellectual Property and Copyright Considerations for Authentic Science Film Storytelling within a University Setting. Journal of Copyright in Education & Librarianship, 8(1). doi: 10.17161/jcel.v8i1.22838
• Sosnoskie, L.M., Bill, K., Butler-Jones, A., Bouchelle, W.M. and Besançon, T.E. 2025. Deep learning-based laser weed control compared to conventional herbicide application across three vegetable production systems. Pest Manag Sci, 81: 4922-4936. doi: 10.1002/ps.8912
• Schmidt, R., K. Saban, L. Struwe. & C. Davis. 2025. The collector practices that shape spatial, temporal, and taxonomic bias in herbaria. New Phytologist. doi: 10.1111/nph.70297
• Di, R., S. Ravikumar, R. Daddio and S. Bonos. 2025. CRISPR-gene editing of AsDREBL improved abiotic tolerance in creeping bentgrass. International Journal of Plant Biology 16(3):89. doi: 10.3390/ijpb16030089.
• Galli, M., Chen, Z., Ghandour, T. et al. [corresponding author: Andrea Gallavotti]. 2025. Transcription factor binding divergence drives transcriptional and phenotypic variation in maize. Nat. Plants 11, 1205–1219 (2025).  doi: 10.1038/s41477-025-02007-8
• Jiménez, N.P. , S. Fong, J.L. Neyhart, J. Johnson-Cicalese, N. Vorsa, G.M. Sideli. 2025. Leveraging genetic resources and genomic prediction to enhance flavonol content in cranberry fruit. The Plant Genome. Volume18, Issue3. doi: 10.1002/tpg2.70074
• Allen, K.S., G.A. Delulio, R. Pyne, J. Maman, L. Guo, R. Lyon, E.T. Johnson, R.L. Wick, J.E. Simon, A. Gershenson and L.J. Ma. Identification of Novel Basil Downy Mildew Resistance Genes Using de novo Comparative Transcriptomics. 2025. Phytopathology14. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-11-24-0369-R
• Ben Naim, Y., R. Mattera IIIG, Y. Cohen, C.A. Wyenandt and J.E. Simon. Predicting the resistance of basil entries to downy mildew based on their genetics, pathogen race, growth stage, and environmental conditions. 2025. Planta 29;262(1):10. doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04703-3
• Brindisi, L. J., R. O'Brien, B.K. Hayes, B. S. Kotwal, Q.L. Wu, J.E. Simon and B. Tepper. Relationship between sensory perceptions and volatile and phenolic compounds of fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) evaluated by multivariate statistics. 2025. Journal of Food Science 90, e70194. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.70194
• Liu, H., Henderson, M., Pang, Z. et al. Structural determinants for pH-dependent activation of a plant metacaspase. Nat Commun 16, 4973 (2025). doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60253-y
• Brumfield, R.G., D. L. Greenwood, M. Flahive DiNardo, A.J. Both, J.R. Heckman, N. Polanin, A. Rouff, A. Rowe, R. VanVranken, S. Arumugam, and R. Govindasamy. 2025. Annie’s Project: Farming in New Jersey’s Cities and the Urban Fringe. Journal of Extension. 63(2). Article 5.
• Rabinovich, A., J. R. Heckman, C. A. Wyenandt and R. Di.  2025.  Foliar nickel nutrient application for improved urea conversion and abiotic stress mitigation in tomato. Agricultural Research. doi: 10.1007/s40003-025-00854-7
• Evan E., B. Abramson, K. Acosta, P.T.N. Hoang, C. Mateo-Elizalde, V. Schubert, B. Pasaribu, P.S. Albert, N. Hartwick, K. Colt, A. Aylward, U. Ramu, J.A. Birchler, I. Schubert, E. Lam, T.P. Michael, R.A. Martienssen. Duckweed genomes and epigenomes underlie triploid hybridization and clonal reproduction. Current Biology. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.013
• Hyun H., J. Sun, M. Irfan, E. Lam, S. P. S. Chundawat, S. Lee. Time-resolved tracking of cellulose biosynthesis and assembly during cell wall regeneration in live Arabidopsis protoplasts, 21 March 2025. Science Advances. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ads6312
• Campbell, L. G., B. Montgomery, M. King, J. Hall, & L. Struwe. 2025. Students in the wild: Safety instruction practices in distance-taught biological laboratory and field classes. American Biology Teacher 87(1):13-19. doi: 10.1525/abt.2025.87.1.13 [feature article]
• Rothfels, C., et al. [c. 70 authors, incl. L. Struwe]. 2025 (in press). The PteridoPortal: A publicly accessible collection of over three million records of extant and extinct pteridophytes. Applications in Plant Sciences
• Setubal, R. B., L. Struwe, & R. C. Forzza. 2025. Taxonomical revision of American Strychnos sect. Breviflorae subsect. Eriospermae (Loganiaceae). Brittonia. doi: 10.1007/s12228-024-09822-x
• Waters, D., L. Struwe, & J. Lendemer. 2025 (in press). The Lichens and Allied Fungi of Wickecheoke Creek Preserve, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, U.S.A.: A Baseline Pre-Hurricane Ida. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society.
• Young, B., B. Thiers, J. White, & L. Struwe. 2025. Endophytic bacteria discovered in oil body organelles of the liverworts Marchantia polymorpha and Radula complanata. American Journal of Botany e70017. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.70017
• New Patent: Automated Growth System for Floating Aquatic Plants and Method, Eric Lam, Shawn D. Sorrels
• Heckman, J., M. Westendorf, A. Rabinovich. 2025. Organic Lawn Clipping Silage as a Potential Livestock Feed. Sustainable Agriculture Research. doi: 10.5539/sar.v14n1p29
• Heckman, J., T.E. Besancon, A. Rabinovich. 2025. Equine Manure Composition, Soil Fertility and Forage Response. Communications in Soil Science Plant Analysis. doi: 10.1080/00103624.2025.2453000
• Seidel, D., Staffen, M., Abdallah, L., & Morin, X. (2025). Outcomes of a 4-H STEM Learning Enrichment Program Using Video Storytelling. The Journal of Extension, 63(1), Article 18.

Awards and Honors

• 2025-2028. USDA-AMS-NJ State Board of Agriculture. Simon, J.E. (PI), Co-PIs: R. Mattera, N. Raj, A. Barrett and A. Wyenandt. Development of powdery mildew resistant spearmints with high flavor profile for the New Jersey fresh market. Project Period: 09/30/2025-09/29/2028. $39,999.
• 2025-2028. USDA-AMS-NJ State Board of Agriculture. Simon, J.E. (PI), Co-PIs: T. Rosen and A. Wyenandt. Improvement of roselle Hibiscus sabdariffa as a dual-use crop suitable for New Jersey Specialty Crop Farmers. Project Period: 09/30/2025-09/29/2028. $39,998.
• The Office of the Governor, Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia awarded a Food Security implementation Project Phase III as part of a continued Partnership between Pohnpei State and Rutgers University. Jim Simon (PI), Dena Seidel and Ramu Govindasamy (co-PIs), with AJ Both, Yariv Ben Naem (co-investigators) and graduate students Tori Rosen and Erin Quinn.  Nov. 01, 2025-Sept 31, 2026. $116,000.
• Mark Zander (PI), assistant professor, and Jim Simon (Co-PI), Distinguished Professor—both in the Department of Plant Biology—along with co-investigators Qingli Wu, John McLaughlin, Andy Wyenandt, Dena Seidel, Nimmi Rajmohan, Stephen Komar, Raul Cabrera, and with Yigal Cohen (Co-PI) and Yariv Ben-Naim, Bar Ilan University) were awarded a $875,854.05 grant from USDA/NIFA to support their research on "Functional characterization of powdery mildew resistance in hemp using genomics-guided CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting to accelerate national breeding programs" for the period 09/30/2025 to 09/29/2029.
• Dr. Eric Bryan, from Dr. Nilgun Tumer's laboratory, has been accepted into the INSPIRE-IRACDA postdoctoral fellowship at Rutgers University, a NIH-sponsored career development award. The fellowship provides training in educational methods, including mentored teaching at a partner institution located within the New York metropolitan area, as well as career development workshops. The fellowship also aims to increase the participation of undergraduate students in biomedical science research fields through interaction with the postdoctoral fellow. Additionally, Dr. Bryan will conduct mentored research into new small-molecular inhibitors of ricin and Shiga toxins, which are lethal ribosome-inactivating proteins for which there are currently no FDA-approved therapeutics. The fellowship will provide funding for Dr. Bryan for three years and prepare him for a career as a scientist-educator.
• Award Winners, CANVAS Meeting (CSSA – SSSA – ASA) in Salt Lake City, Utah, November 10-12, 2025
  Ryan Earp: First place in Turfgrass Breeding, Genomics, Physiology and Molecular Biology poster session; "Determining DNA Content and Ploidy Variation in Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars and Accessions Using Flow Cytometry;" 
  Authors: Ryan Earp, Chris Tkach, Christine Kubik, Jennifer Vaiciunas, Mark LaBarge and Stacy Bonos
  
  Devan Gladden: Second place in (C5) Turfgrass Water Conservation poster session: "High Throughput Phentoyping of Stay-Green Traits for Kentucky Bluegrass Under Variable Irrigation;" 
  Authors: Devan Gladden, Stephanie Rossi, Bingru Huang
  
  Emmanuel Nwachukwu: Third place in Golf Turf Management and Remote Sensing poster session: "Influence of Soil pH Gradient on an Annual Bluegrass Putting Green;" 
  Authors: Emmanuel Nwachukwu, James Murphy and Matthew Elmore
• Kaitlin Quinn won the oral student competition, APS Northeastern Division. The APS Northeastern Division is the regional branch of the American Phytopathological Society (APS) that covers the Northeastern United States and neighboring Canadian provinces.
• 2025–2027 Rutgers, The Chancellor-Provost Office, FY26 Strategic Initiative Funds, "An innovative undergraduate pathway for future careers in Biodiversity Collections Management", $323,802, PI: Lena Struwe.
• 2025–2028 USDA, NIFA (McIntire-Stennis NJAES Project # NJ17332, accession 7010051), "Potential for Seed Transfer of Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Endophytic Bacteria in North American Oaks". $90,995 PI: Lena Struwe, Co-PI: James White (July 2025–Sep 2028). [federal formula grant]
• John McLaughlin was named as a 2025–2026 Provost's Teaching Fellow.  The Provost's Teaching Fellows Program supports pedagogical innovations designed to improve learning outcomes for our students. They are listed in the following link: Announcing the 2025 - 2026 Provost’s Teaching Fellows! | Rutgers Institute for Teaching (TIIP) (Link to LinkedIn)
• Dr. Ilya Raskin received a five-year NIH award titled "International Research Training Center for Botanicals and Chronic Diseases in Indonesia, Ecuador and Tajikistan".  The goal of this grant is to extend the ongoing successful international research training program to these countries, where we have an established collaborative network with numerous major universities, and provide a sustainable foundation for research and retention of Tajik, Indonesian and Ecuadorian scientists in the interdisciplinary studies of botanicals for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. 
  Award number: D43TW009672
  Awarded amount: $1,341,466
  Duration of the award: 7/1/2026 – 5/31/2030

Speaking Invitations

• 'In the Weeds – Dandelions, symbols, and human life', The Museum of Modern Art, New York City, NY, May 21, 2025.
• 'Nature Journaling at the college level', talk and panelist at “Mutualism: Art + Biology: Enhancing Learning in university courses” online symposium, University of Minnesota & Lake Forest College, June 13, 2025.
• 'Species identification from photos using AI, ML, and citizen scientists', Lightning talk at RCEI Convergence Café, Rutgers, 6 Feb 2025.
• 'Plant Identification Workshop' for Master Gardener Program of Fairfax County, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia State University, VA, 26 February 2025.

Books and Book Chapters

• Struwe, L. 2025. The Botanical World of Hilma af Klint. In: The Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers (J. Hauptman, ed.), The Museum of Modern Art, New York [art exhibit catalogue]

Patents

• Rong Di, Michael A. Lawton, James E. Simon. “Gene Edited Basil Plants Resistant to Downy Mildew”, Patent # US 12,356,910 B2.
  Date of Patent: July 15, 2025.
• Certificate of Grant. Australian Plant Breeder's Rights 7202 POF Ref: 1130001.Ref: 7213-93849-06. Sweet Basil variety named “Rutgers Obsession DMR" (OCIMUM BASILICUM)  Rutgers University (J.E. Simon, R. Pyne and C.A. Wyenandt, inventors).
  Date of Patent: April 14, 2025.