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Our lab combines computational and experimental approaches to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive strategies in plants. We focus on metabolic traits at multiple scales including individual genes, pathways, and networks. We also uncover novel functions, mechanisms, and pathways of 'unknown' genes (those that are not similar to any known genes), which is taking us to areas of research we never thought of studying before. |
Why should we study plants?Introduction by Ruby Tebbutt, 2022 Summer Intern
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Front Matter
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We aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive traits in the face of heat, drought, nutrient limitation, latitude and pests. We study a variety of plants including models, orphan crops, medicinal and desert plants. More recently our work has involved studying a model nematode C. elegans, fungal pathogens, corals, and piezophilic bacterium. Our group employs computational modeling and targeted laboratory testing to study mechanisms of adaptation, functions of novel genes, organization and function of metabolic networks, and chemical and neuronal code of plant-animal interactions. We are also interested in developing translational research programs involving carbon sequestration by plants and biomass maximization under drought in bioenergy crops. See our Publications and Talks. |
News
June 19th, 2025
New members alert!
We are excited to announce two Summer REU students have joined our lab as part of the MSU Plant Genomics REU program! Welcome Arianna and Rylee! Ari joins us from North Park University and Rylee is coming from University of Maryland Eastern Shore
May 27th, 2025
We're excited to announce our latest paper Implementing a framework of carbon and nitrogen feedback responses into a plant resource allocation model (Holland et al., 2025) is now available in pre-print in in-silico Plants! This paper authored by Dr. Beth Holland in our lab discusses a framework model of internal feedback responses to changes in plant carbon and nitrogen concentrations.
Please find the full paper here!
April 22nd, 2025
Hot off the presses!
We are excited to announce our paper UnigeneFinder: An Automated Pipeline for Gene Calling From Transcriptome Assemblies Without a Reference Genome is officially in press at Plant Direct! UnigeneFinder is a software pipeline which automates the steps required to get from the results of de novo transcriptome assembly to a set of "unigenes" (a single best isoform for each putative locus).
Congratulations to Bo Xue, Karine Prado, Sue Rhee, and Matt Stata for developing this tool!
Please find the full paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pld3.70056
April 14th, 2025
Lots of news today!
We are excited to announce that our newest member, Barno Ruzimurodovna Rezaeva, has successfully defended her thesis. Dr. Rezaeva will be starting in our lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in May. Please join us in celebrating this wonderful accomplishment!
Dr. Matt Stata, a Postdoctoral Research Associate in our lab, is an awardee in the latest round of PRI Seed Grants! Dr. Stata is joined by Dr. Kelem Alamrie (Walker Lab) and Dr. Beth Holland (Rhee Lab) on this project with a goal of "Mapping C₄ Evolution Through snRNA-seq and Metabolomics in Parallel Intermediate-Rich Lineages".
Our lab is currently hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate! We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled postdoctoral researcher to work on high-throughput metabolite discovery for plant resilience against pathogenic fungi, heat, or drought stress. If that sounds like you, please find more information on our Job Openings Page
April 8th, 2025
New member alert!
The Rhee Lab is excited to announce that Katie Philipps has joined our lab as a Research Assistant. She recently graduated from MSU and is looking forward to continuing her work in plant biology.
April 7th, 2025
Hot off the presses!
MSU PRI Scientists have united the global community to call for advancing plant resilience. Read the finalized version of their article, "Resilient plants, sustainable future," out now for free in the April 2025 issue of Cell Press' Trends in Plant Science.
"Life on the dry side: a roadmap to understanding desiccation tolerance an accelerating translational applications" this exciting article by Dr. Rose Marks and published in Nature Communications discusses desiccation tolerance and brings together the knowledge published on the subject across many scales to lay a roadmap towards future research . Please read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58656-y
April 5th-6th, 2025
The Rhee Lab attends MSU's STEAM Science Expo!
Our lab hosted multiple booths in the MSU Plant World room covering topics from how life survives without water (WALII) to how plants create the molecules we use to identify them by smell (PMN). The STEAM expo is part of MSU's SciFest, which is month-long celebration of the sciences. Please find more information about the event here: https://sciencefestival.msu.edu/
March 23rd, 2025
The search is on!
The PRI at MSU is looking for a new Office Coordinator to offer with high-level administration support and ensure efficient operation of the PRI admin team.
Please find more information on our Overview and Job Openings page
New members alert!
We are excited to announce two Summer REU students have joined our lab as part of the MSU Plant Genomics REU program! Welcome Arianna and Rylee! Ari joins us from North Park University and Rylee is coming from University of Maryland Eastern Shore
May 27th, 2025
We're excited to announce our latest paper Implementing a framework of carbon and nitrogen feedback responses into a plant resource allocation model (Holland et al., 2025) is now available in pre-print in in-silico Plants! This paper authored by Dr. Beth Holland in our lab discusses a framework model of internal feedback responses to changes in plant carbon and nitrogen concentrations.
Please find the full paper here!
April 22nd, 2025
Hot off the presses!
We are excited to announce our paper UnigeneFinder: An Automated Pipeline for Gene Calling From Transcriptome Assemblies Without a Reference Genome is officially in press at Plant Direct! UnigeneFinder is a software pipeline which automates the steps required to get from the results of de novo transcriptome assembly to a set of "unigenes" (a single best isoform for each putative locus).
Congratulations to Bo Xue, Karine Prado, Sue Rhee, and Matt Stata for developing this tool!
Please find the full paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pld3.70056
April 14th, 2025
Lots of news today!
We are excited to announce that our newest member, Barno Ruzimurodovna Rezaeva, has successfully defended her thesis. Dr. Rezaeva will be starting in our lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in May. Please join us in celebrating this wonderful accomplishment!
Dr. Matt Stata, a Postdoctoral Research Associate in our lab, is an awardee in the latest round of PRI Seed Grants! Dr. Stata is joined by Dr. Kelem Alamrie (Walker Lab) and Dr. Beth Holland (Rhee Lab) on this project with a goal of "Mapping C₄ Evolution Through snRNA-seq and Metabolomics in Parallel Intermediate-Rich Lineages".
Our lab is currently hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate! We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled postdoctoral researcher to work on high-throughput metabolite discovery for plant resilience against pathogenic fungi, heat, or drought stress. If that sounds like you, please find more information on our Job Openings Page
April 8th, 2025
New member alert!
The Rhee Lab is excited to announce that Katie Philipps has joined our lab as a Research Assistant. She recently graduated from MSU and is looking forward to continuing her work in plant biology.
April 7th, 2025
Hot off the presses!
MSU PRI Scientists have united the global community to call for advancing plant resilience. Read the finalized version of their article, "Resilient plants, sustainable future," out now for free in the April 2025 issue of Cell Press' Trends in Plant Science.
"Life on the dry side: a roadmap to understanding desiccation tolerance an accelerating translational applications" this exciting article by Dr. Rose Marks and published in Nature Communications discusses desiccation tolerance and brings together the knowledge published on the subject across many scales to lay a roadmap towards future research . Please read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58656-y
April 5th-6th, 2025
The Rhee Lab attends MSU's STEAM Science Expo!
Our lab hosted multiple booths in the MSU Plant World room covering topics from how life survives without water (WALII) to how plants create the molecules we use to identify them by smell (PMN). The STEAM expo is part of MSU's SciFest, which is month-long celebration of the sciences. Please find more information about the event here: https://sciencefestival.msu.edu/
March 23rd, 2025
The search is on!
The PRI at MSU is looking for a new Office Coordinator to offer with high-level administration support and ensure efficient operation of the PRI admin team.
Please find more information on our Overview and Job Openings page
