Perez’s work focuses on how the Brucella General Stress Response, or GSR, is regulated through protein–protein interactions.

MGI graduate student Emily Perez works in a lab. She is wearing full protective gear including a yellow head covering with integrated face shield, white full-body covering, and gloves.

MGI graduate student Emily Perez, of the Crosson Lab, is studying how bacteria sense and respond to the world around them because these attributes can be used to control their growth. It is especially important for animal and human pathogens such as the one she studies, Brucella.

MGI Assistant Professor Scott Sherrill-Mix has been creating videos for the American Society for Microbiology helping to explain basic statistics concepts.

Here's part 1 about using Contingency Tables.
asm.org/videos/decod...

Great work, Dr. Sherrill-Mix!

The cover of the ASM Journal of Bacteriology - featuring an image from MGI alum Dr. Sergio Hernandez-Ortiz's PhD research.

Congratulations to MGI alum, Dr. Sergio Hernandez-Ortiz! His final paper from his PhD thesis research made the cover of the Journal of Bacteriology.

Dr. Hernandez-Ortiz is now doing postdoctoral work at Duke University where he's studying halophilic archaea.

journals.asm.org/journal/jb

Screening potential synthetic community members for metal tolerance and resistance on 200ppm copper chloride agar plates from my culture collection isolates (from aspen roots growing in mining waste).

Field Notebook and natural experiment design from Day 1 of 2 on copper mining study site in the Keweenaw Peninsula, MI

Understanding these resilient microbes could one day inform strategies for ecological restoration of mining-impacted land.

Confocal microscopy of DAPI stained tree roots embedded in resin

Scanning electron microscopy, sample is an unknown spherical particle found in mining waste. Mounted with platinum sputter coating.

Her research looks into the microscopic community of bacteria and fungi living in and around aspen roots at these contaminated sites to understand which microbes survive extreme copper stress and whether they might be helping the tree cope.

MGI graduate student Mashal Copperman holds a flask of blue liquid in her lab.

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Natural Resource Department Ecological Restoration Site, using Traditional Ecological Knowledge to recover from copper mining waste and steward medicinal plants.

Copperman holds stamp sands in her hand.

Aspen tree growing in mining waste. Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan.

Copper mining waste called "stamp sands" has contaminated soils along Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula for over a century — and yet quaking aspen trees are still growing there. Mashal Copperman is an MGI graduate student in the Lebeis Lab investigating how this works.

E. coli with plasmids for green and red fluorescent proteins drawn on agar and photographed on a blue light box through an orange filter.

E. coli with plasmids for green and red fluorescent proteins drawn on agar and photographed on a blue light box through an orange filter. These are drawn into MSU Sparty helmets and the shape of the state of Michigan!

MGI's @waterslab.bsky.social hosted a booth at the MSU Science Festival! They made art using fluorescent E. coli - In the lab, they use the fluorescent proteins as tracers for cellular sorting and imaging. But as postdoc @micahferrell.bsky.social said, "Sometimes we just want to have fun with them!"

This image shows two different pictures of MGI undergraduate students concentrating deeply while discussing their research with professors and graduate students.

A student smiles and gestures as she describes her research to a professor.

This image shows two different pictures of MGI undergraduate students concentrating deeply while discussing their research with professors and graduate students.

A student describes her research to a graduate student.

So proud of our undergraduates who presented their research at the MGI Undergraduate Research Showcase yesterday. Loved seeing student and faculty deep in conversation about their work.

This drawing, done by undergrad Tiffany Rennells, who works with Satya, shows how quasiorganelles kill histiocytic sarcoma cells.

This drawing, done by undergrad Tiffany Rennells, who works with Satya, shows how quasiorganelles kill histiocytic sarcoma cells.

This image shows green dog histiocytic sarcoma cancer cells containing red quasiorganelles. The nucleus of the cancer cells is marked in blue.

This image shows green dog histiocytic sarcoma cancer cells containing red quasiorganelles. The nucleus of the cancer cells is marked in blue.

In models of cancer in mice and dogs, Satya uses quasiorganelles to reshape the interactions between cancer cells and immune cells. His goal is to create more effective therapies for cancer using quasiorganelles.

These pics show green canine cancer cells. Red = quasiorganelles. Blue = cell nuclei.

Satya Kulkarni sits for a formal picture. There is a gray background behind him and he's wearing a blue and white striped shirt and blue blazer.

Satya Kulkarni is a MGI DVM-PhD dual-degree student in the Contag and Hardy labs. He engineers bacteria that live inside mammalian cells as quasiorganelles, or organelle-like structures, that can change the way those cells behave.

Professor Sean Crosson stands at a lectern behind bouquets of flowers to deliver a talk at this year's Classes without quizzes event. On the screen behind him is the quote "Between animal and human medicine there are no dividing lines - nor should there be." attributed to Rudolf Virchow (ca. 1858).

MGI's Rudolph Hugh Endowed Professor Sean Crosson gave a talk at this weekend's "Classes Without Quizzes" event entitled "Many Microbes, One Health: Bacteria at the interface of animal, plant, and human health."

Read more about the event here: natsci.msu.edu/alumni-frien...

In this video, Demetros demonstrates how he transfers Arabidopsis seedlings from his sterile petri dish to the agar for his experiment.

This image shows a grid of vertical plate assays with Arabidopsis grown on them in the presence of various types of bacteria.

In this image, he compares plants' responses to helpful & harmful bacteria. The beneficial one (71) blocks the pathogen (181) in normal plants (col‑0), but not in immune‑deficient mutants (rbohD & sid2).

By understanding how these microbes interact, Demetros' work helps scientists learn how to better support plant health and develop new tools for agriculture.

Alex Demetros sits on a bench and smiles at the camera.

Soil is full of bacteria—some help plants stay healthy, and others can cause disease. In his research, MGI grad student Alex Demetros of the Lebeis Lab is studying how a beneficial bacterium can protect plants from a harmful one.

A representative from the Berner-Garde Foundation spoke about the impact of Vilma's work on the health of Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Vilma's former trainee, Dr. Hunter Piegols, gave a talk at Friday's event.

Drs. Laurisa Ankley and Vic DiRita at the event.

Vilma's husband and son receive a posthumous award for Vilma from the College of Natural Science recognizing her exceptional service as the MGI Graduate Program Director.

Inspired by Vilma’s friends and colleagues, MSU CVM is establishing an endowed fund to support veterinary student research. To donate, use this link: give.msu.edu?sid=21104

Dean Kim Dodd welcomes attendees.

MGI department chair Vic DiRita welcomes attendees.

Vilma's graduate student, Alex Engleberg, emceed the event.

Vilma's former trainee, Dr. Tuddow Thaiwong-Nebelung, gave a heartfelt talk.

Last week, we came together to celebrate the extraordinary impact and legacy of Dr. Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan. Thank you to the colleagues and former students who shared reflections, research, and memories in her honor.

An image with a picture of Ira Zibbu and the text "Graduate Student Excellence Award" from the SMBD. There is a block of text saying "I am broadly interested in understanding the evolutionary forces that shape the structure and function of bacterial genomes and how certain genomic configurations can preclude or promote specific future evolutionary paths."

Congratulations to MGI graduate student Ira Zibbu @coolscootre.bsky.social of the Barrick Lab on winning the Graduate Student Excellence Award from the SMBE @official-smbe.bsky.social

MGI students and professors gather for a picture at the MI-ASM meeting this past weekend.

At this weekend’s MI branch ASM meeting, MGI students earned top honors—4 first-place awards! Congrats to Maddy Quinlan and Jeannette Farnham (oral & poster presentations) and to Drew Johnson and Marissa Malleck (undergrad poster awards). 🎉

Dr. Dohun Pyeon sits at his desk. Behind him you can see the notes he writes on his window.

Congratulations to MGI Professor Dohun Pyeon on his election as a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science!

Dr. Pyeon was recognized for his research in human papillomavirus and associated cancers.

tinyurl.com/yc3x65yz

Zieba’s goal is to make at‑home testing a practical option to help limit the spread of infectious diseases, including Potomac horse fever and bovine leukemia virus.

Eppendorf tubes with a variety of liquids in them glow under blue light. The different colors indicate different test results.

His work focuses on creating fast, affordable diagnostic tools that give cattle producers and horse owners broader access to essential health information.

MGI graduate student James Zieba leans against a brick pillar in a garden.

MGI graduate student James Zieba of the Sherrill‑Mix Lab is developing new veterinary clinical assays inspired by the rapid testing innovations that emerged during the 2020 COVID pandemic.

To learn more about Dr. Rangarajan and her research, check out this Micro Biography: tinyurl.com/yx9ctutf

A flyer for the Biology on Tap seminar series in April 2026 featuring two speakers, one of whom is MGI postdoc Dr. Aathmaja Anandhi Rangarajan.

MGI postdoctoral researcher Dr. Aathmaja Anandhi Rangarajan @aathmaja.bsky.social will be presenting a talk to Biology on Tap on April 2nd entitled "Swim Alone or Stick Together: How Bacteria Decide Their Lifestyle."

Join her at 7 pm on 4/2 at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy!

Sarah Gonzalez Henao works at her bench.

Sarah smiles in front of a sign in France.

Gonzalez Henao in front of Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseilles.

MGI doctoral candidate Sarah Gonzalez Henao has been selected for the NASA Early Career Collaboration Award, a competitive fellowship that supports early career scientists working in astrobiology.

Congratulations and bon voyage, Sarah!

Read more here: tinyurl.com/3hahv6dx

This Tuesday, Ihika Lagisetty from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center joined us to present a seminar entitled "Building the Future of Genetic Counseling." Thank you, Ihika!