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Department of Plant Biology
Rutgers logo
Department of Plant Biology
Rutgers logo
Department of Plant Biology
Rutgers logo
Department of Plant Biology

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News and Highlights

General News

Publications

  • Rosen, T., Q.L. Wu and J.E. Simon. 2026. Crop Selection Based on Horticultural Performance and Nutritional Profile of Amaranthus spp. for Leafy Green Production. HORTSCIENCE 61(5):1002–1008. 2026. doi: 10.21273/HORTSCI19195-25
  • Rosen, T., N. Sari and J.E. Simon. 2026. Morphological Characterization of Amaranth Genetic Resources. HORTSCIENCE 61(4):791–800. 2026. doi: 10.21273/HORTSCI19186-25
  • Barrett, A.J., Y. Ben-Naim, K.S. Allen, R. Mattera III, Ma L.J., Y. Cohen., C.A. Wyenandt, and J.E. Simon. 2026. Genetic diversity analysis reveals high heterozygosity, low clonality, and distinct populations in Peronospora belbahrii. Phytopathology. 2026 Apr 6; PubMed PMID: 41941754 doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-11-25-0360-R
  • Li, N., J.E. Simon and Q. Wu. 2026. An effective scalable method to prepare whey protein isolate-galactooligosaccharide conjugates and application in encapsulating epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Food Chemistry 509:148529. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148529.
  • Fields, S.E., A. Elango, E.E. Akgun, A.M. Sweeney, E. Carry, A. Vasilatis, E. Bernstein, J.E. Simon, Q.L. Wu and N.T. Bello. 2026. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) alkaloids influence on cardiopulmonary measures and high-fat diet-induced weight gain in mice. Physiology & Behavior 307 (2026) 115231. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115231
  • Addy, T.M., C. Quillen, S. Luxmikanthan, D. Cantor, X.K. Morin, I. Rauschenbach, C. Bernadetta, Lyra Stein, J. Yang. 2026. Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence Technologies Across the Disciplines to Facilitate Learning and Responsible Usage, in Reimagining Learning Outcomes Through AI-Enhanced Pedagogy, Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Special Edition (Vol 37), April 6, 2026.
  • Jiménez, N. P., Torres-Meraz M.A., Neyhart J., Zalapa J., Sideli G.M. 2026. Targeted population genomics uncovers demographic history and genetic divergence in North American wild cranberry. Horticulture Research, uhag161.
  • Materra III, R., Simon J., Wyenandt A., Barrett A., Ben-Naim Y., Allen K., Ma L., Cohen Y., Hilaj F., Di R., Sandoya G., Meeplod P., Kumar U., Bicim U., Medberry A., Lawton M. 2026. Research Finding Better Ways To Deal With Basil Downy Mildew. American Vegetable Grower and Growing Produce. April 21, 2026.
  • Kaz, A., Thirunavukkarasu, K., Almosd, L. et al. Potent surface antimicrobial activity of hydrolyzable tannins from Aleppo oak galls. Sci Rep 16, 3088 (2026). doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-33013-7
  • Mavlonazarova, S., Acosta, K., Abzalimov, R., Satorov, S., and Dushenkov, V. 2026. Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Organ‐Specific and Extraction‐Dependent Metabolite Profiles in Endemic Tajik Species Ferula violacea Korovin. Plant Direct, 10(3), p.e70123. doi: 10.1002/pld3.70123
  • Li, N, J.E. Simon and Q. Wu. 2026. An effective scalable method to prepare whey protein isolate-galactooligosaccharide conjugates and application in encapsulating epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Food Chemistry 509:148529. doi: 10/10116/j.foodchem.2026.148529.
  • Fields, S.E., A. Elango, E.E. Akgun, A.M. Sweeney, E. Carry, A. Vasilatis, E. Bernstein, J.E. Simon, Q.L. Wu and N.T. Bello. 2026. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) alkaloids influence on cardiopulmonary measures and high-fat diet-induced weight gain in mice. Physiology & Behavior 307 (2026) 115231. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115231
  • Cho E, Acosta K, Henkin J, Abzalimov R, Raskin I. 2026. Synergistic antifungal effects of botanical extracts against Candida albicans. PloS one. 2026 Jan 12;21(1):e0340665. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0340665
  • Cho, E., Acosta, K., Henkin, J., Abzalimov, R. and Raskin, I. 2026. Synergistic antifungal effects of botanical extracts against Candida albicans. PloS one, 21(1), p.e0340665. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0340665
  • Kaz, A., Thirunavukkarasu, K., Almosd, L., Cho, E., Henkin, J., Acosta, K., Abzalimov, R. and Raskin, I. 2025. Potent surface antimicrobial activity of hydrolyzable tannins from Aleppo oak galls. Scientific Reports, 16, 3088 (2026). doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-33013-7
  • Fields, S.E., A. Elango, E.E. Akgun, A.M. Sweeney, E. Carry, A. Vasilatis, E. Bernstein, J.E. Simon, Q.L. Wu and N.T. Bello. 2026. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) alkaloids influence on cardiopulmonary measures and high-fat diet-induced weight gain in mice. Physiology & Behavior 307 (2026) 115231. 10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115231
  • Xu J., Pan Y., Peter R.M., Chou P.J., Dave P.D., Shanner A., Sarwar M.S., L. Brunetti, J.E. Simon and A.T. Kong. 2025. Exploring the Epigenetic and Metabolic Pathways for Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potentials of Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate. Curr Pharmacol Rep. 11(1):43. doi: 10.1007/s40495-025-00422-1. Epub 2025 Jul 26.PMID: 40727248.
  • Allen, K.A, E.N. Gomes, O. Doni, Q.L. Wu and J.E. Simon. 2025. Elicitation Studies on Nepeta spp.: A Review. J. Medicinally Active Plants Vol. 14(4): 40-58.
  • 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. 2025. Identification of Novel Basil Downy Mildew Resistance Genes Using de novo Comparative Transcriptomics. Phytopathology. 14. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-11-24-0369-R
  • Ben Naim, Y., R. Mattera III, Y. Cohen, C.A. Wyenandt and J.E. Simon. 2025. Predicting the resistance of basil entries to downy mildew based on their genetics, pathogen race, growth stage, and environmental conditions. Planta 29;262(1):10. doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04703-3
  • Kotwal, S., Shin, J.W. & Bezabeh, T. Predicting and monitoring treatment response via 1-H NMR metabolomics of plasma, serum, and urine. 2026. Biophys Rev. doi: 10.1007/s12551-026-01405-2

 

Awards and Honors

  • Jim Simon was selected as a 2026 INNOVATE100 honoree for his inventions and patents, State of New Jersey.
  • Garden State Film Festival, Home Grown Award for Short Narrative Trailer: "The FAME Project: Journeys into Science." Sean Feuer, Xenia Morin, Dena Seidel, Directors. Jim Simon, Dena Seidel, Marissa Staffen, Oscar Schofield, Producers. Garden State Film Festival Awards Ceremony, Long Branch, NJ. March 29, 2026.
  • The Ilya Raskin lab received two corporate gifts of $15,000 each ($30,000 total) through the Rutgers Foundation from International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. and Bedoukian Research Inc.
  • Jim Simon, Dena Seidel, Ramu Govindasamy, Mike Balick, Dave Bushek and Kevon Rhiney received a grant for their proposed research,  "Food Security Policy Development for the States of Yap, Chuuk and Korsae and to Update the National Agricultural Policy for the Federated States of Micronesia". This project was awarded at $200,000 in support of the Federated States of Micronesia funded by the Green Climate Fund and administered through the Micronesian Conservation Trust (MCT SAP-0200).

 

Speaking Invitations

  • Shashikant Kotwal, Ph.D student in Plant Biology, attended the Metabolomics Society Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina from June 21-24, 2026. He presented part of his dissertation research titled 'A Chemometric and AI-driven approach to Characterize Taste in Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)'. The James Simon-Qingli Wu Lab would like to thank the Department of Plant Biology for the travel award to present this research.
  • Jim Simon, was invited to give the plenary speaker lecture, "In Search of Indigenous and Naturalized Nutritional Food Plants and Medicinals: Case Studies from Sub-Sahara Africa",  at the 14th Annual Conference of the American Council for Medicinally Active Plants (ACMPA), June 15-17, 2026, Hershey, PA.
  • Dena Seidel was interviewed for podcast On the Page for her work on science communication. Feb.11, 2026.
  • Dena Seidel and Xenia Morin were invited to present their research on "Science-in-Action Film Storytelling Increasing Public Trust in Science" at the Association for Science Communicators Science Talk '26Portland, Oregon, March 26. 2026.
  • Dena Seidel was invited to the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience giving the Keynote seminar "Scientific Storytelling" with SEBS students Bella Burnworth and Nikki Nikolova.

  • Dena Seidel and Xenia Morin led a Rutgers team of students engage in science communication to present their science-in-action video stories at the Planet Forward Summit, George Washington University, April 16, 2026:

    • Research to Reel: Science Stories in Action with
    • Rutgers students Colby Koutrakos, Amaya Baez, Ben Lerner, Shaniya Utamidata and Bella Burnworth share Science-in-Action Storytelling™ projects and process at national environmental storytelling conference.

    See the article on the Rutgers Office for Research website

  • Xenia Morin and Dena Seidel. "Science-in-Action Film Storytelling Increasing Public Trust in Science." Science Talk'26, Association of Science Communicators, Tiffany Center, Portland, Oregon. March 26, 2026.
  • Dena Seidel gave a seminar titled "Scientific Storytelling" at the Max Planck Institute in Florida. January 15, 2026.
  • Dena Seidel led a workshop titled "Communicating Complex Concepts" at the Max Planck Institute in Florida. January 16, 2026.
  • Jim Simon was invited and gave the plenary paper, "Bioexploration for Nutritional Food Plants and Medicinals: Case Studies from Sub-Sahara Africa", at the International Botanical Symposium: Embracing the Complexity of TCM/Herbal Medicine Using Innovative Approaches. The event is organized by the Research Centre of Chinese Medicine Innovation Hong Kong Polytechnic University, January 07-08, 2026.

 

Miscellaneous

Field Research

  • Dena Seidel, Tori Rosen and Jim Simon spent about a month in the Federated States of Micronesia leading food security policy workshops in Yap, Chuuk and Kosrae states of the Federated States of Micronesia with funding from the Green Climate Change.

 

Books and Book Chapters

 

Patents