Here’s to discovery, community, and impact—Happy New Year from the Danforth Center! 🌱

We don’t know what 2026 will bring, but we all can do our part to make it better. 🌍 Help ensure our mission, science, and impact will continue well into the future by donating to the Danforth Center. Make your gift before midnight: https://loom.ly/SxLiJLs #SupportScience

Meet our CSTM Member of the Month! @allyangermeier.bsky.social is a microscopy expert who focuses on vitrifying cyanobacteria to optimize cryo-EM workflows and uses hybridization chain reaction to study the spatiotemporal localization of phasiRNAs in plants.

At the Danforth Center, it's been a year of both incredible progress and new challenges. Regardless, we’re committed to our mission. But we’re counting on our community to help keep the work going. 🌱 Support our science today: https://loom.ly/hv_62_M #Nonprofit #SupportScience

Flexible annual support through our Impact Fund helps our scientists test bold ideas, develop breakthrough technologies, and launch startups like Spearhead Bio. Turn good ideas into great solutions for people and planet. 🔗 Make your gift: https://loom.ly/hv_62_M

We’ve pioneered a sturdier version of teff—a breakthrough that could increase food security for millions of people in Ethiopia. 🌾 Support our science today, and help ensure more people can grow the food they need: https://loom.ly/hv_62_M #FoodSecurity #GlobalImpact

Meet @mthanlon.bsky.social! Her research is focused on roots—how they build & benefit soil, when they are best able to support the plants that they’re the foundation for, and what helps the roots themselves to thrive. Get to know her here:https://loom.ly/vTLWF3I

Cassava is a lifeline for millions in E. Africa—but virus diseases are cutting farmers’ yields. At Danforth Center, Dr. Nigel Taylor’s team is enhancing cassava to resist these viruses, helping families like Lilian’s secure food + income. ▶️ More: https://loom.ly/wzIZKzs

Dr. Doug Allen’s team and other labs at the Danforth Center are working to raise crop yields and cut input costs. Their research aims to boost protein and oil in soybeans and help corn grow with less nitrogen—a win for growers, consumers, and the planet. https://loom.ly/n8CXydo

In 2019, three Danforth Center scientists pitched an idea to make crop improvement better. This year, that idea fully came to life in the form of a new spinout: Spearhead Bio. 🧬Our supporters made this possible. Make a gift today: https://loom.ly/hv_62_M #AgInnovation #AgTech

In our Summer Undergraduate Research Program, you can work alongside world-class plant scientists and learn about the broader impact of scientific discovery. Apply by March 2, 2026. Apply here: https://loom.ly/nnrplzA

We’re nurturing bright young minds across St. Louis and helping students discover their love of science. 🧪 By donating to our Impact Fund, you can support the next generation of innovators. Make your gift today: bit.ly/3WWUKjD #STEM #STL

Nadia Shakoor, PhD, and her team are exploring sorghum’s potential through CONSERVE, a long-term field study testing conservation practices in agricultural crops. Read her Q&A in Iowa Farmer Today to see how this could lead to a greener future: https://loom.ly/H78UEf0

A nurse, a hiker, a legacy. 🌿 When Norma Deen first toured the Danforth Center in 2002, she was so impressed she decided to give—and has been giving ever since. “I felt like I belonged.” Read her story: https://loom.ly/DWP3_o0

New and improved and open access! With @gehan @susanmeerdink from @danforthcenter.bsky.social Please check out the tools and all plasmids are available on @addgene.bsky.social thank you @darpa.mil for funding! doi.org/10.1111/pbi....

Teff is an “orphan crop” that 80M people in Ethiopia depend on daily. Dr. Getu Duguma’s team is developing short-stature, lodging-resistant teff to boost yields and support smallholder farmers. More: campaign.danforthcenter.org/feed-people/ #FutureForwardFriday #FeedPeople #OrphanCrops

We’re working to unlock the power of perennial plants to make agriculture better for our planet. 🌱 By making a gift, you can be part of this critical work. Help create a better future today: campaign.danforthcenter.org/give-now/ #RegenerativeAgriculture #Sustainability

A resilient crop that could help power a sustainable future: Dr. Andrea Eveland is leading a new multi-institutional project to understand how sorghum, a promising bioenergy crop, responds to environmental challenges. Learn more: https://loom.ly/5Gi0IVw

When a science-loving second-grader named Auggie recently made a gift to the Center, wanting to help feed the world, we decided to invite her on a very special tour of our campus. ⭐ Read more, or make your own gift here: bit.ly/3KiE97j #PlantScience #FutureScientists

Big news! Boeing awarded the Danforth Center $125,000 for STEAM + Ag enrichment at the JJK-FAN Center—covering supplies, staffing, & programming as part of Boeing’s Our Future: Tomorrow’s Innovators. Thank you, Boeing! 🌱🔬 #TeamBoeing #BoeingPartner

#WorldSoilDay This summer, Danforth Center researchers traveled to undisturbed prairies to study the soil beneath their feet. They’re taking notes from nature to determine how to improve agriculture for both people & planet. Dig in: https://loom.ly/Dytynyw

As you eat, drink, & make merry this season, our scientists are exploring the plant science behind terroir—how a grapevine’s environment shapes the flavor of the wine in your glass. Learn more 👇 https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/from-grapevine-to-glass-the-plant-science-of-terroir-in-wine/

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Danforth Center yesterday on #GivingTuesday! 💚 Your support of our science is helping improve lives, right here in St. Louis and all around the world. Thank you again! #Gratitude

Happy #GivingTuesday! 💚 If you want to help feed the world, heal the planet, and create opportunities for people in STL, then please consider making a GivingTuesday gift to our Impact Fund, as part of our Future Forward campaign, before midnight: bit.ly/3WWUKjD #STLNonprofits

By making a gift to our Future Forward campaign tomorrow for #GivingTuesday, you can keep our mission going, fuel our Impact Fund, and help ensure millions of people around the world can grow the food they need. 💚 Donate here: bit.ly/3WWUKjD #FoodSecurity

🍽️ Still working through Thanksgiving leftovers? In W Africa, millions of families rely on a grain called fonio. As #GivingTuesday approaches, you can help accelerate the improvement of crops like fonio for a more resilient food system. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3JWln5r

🍁 With Gratitude Your support helps turn plant science into progress on food security—from resilient crops to healthier soils and waterways and real-world tools for farmers. Read a note from Board Chair Penny Pennington ➜ https://loom.ly/Usa4E9A #Gratitude #PlantScience

We’re proud to be a partner of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK FAN) to help grow a new generation of scientists and leaders in East St. Louis. 🎥 Learn more: loom.ly/ZQAVuu8 extension.illinois.edu #JJKFoundation #LansdowneUP #JJKFAN

Meet our CSTM Member of the Month! Ketra Oketcho studies cassava mosaic virus resistance. Protoplasts are a major component of her research, and she prides herself on her ability to troubleshoot the challenges they present. Congrats, Ketra! 🎉

“There isn’t any place in the world that can compete with the Danforth Plant Science Center.” — Ron Kitchens Energizing morning with Greater St. Louis, Inc. at the Investor Council breakfast. Impact for St. Louis starts here. 🌱

What if crops of the future didn’t need to be replanted every year? Dr. Allison Miller's ajmiller4233.bsky.social lab studies perennial crops that protect soil, store carbon & boost resilience. Sustain the Earth is a priority of the Future Forward campaign: bit.ly/3JWln5r #FutureForward

The inaugural Pivot to Plants Fellows Program, supported by the National Science Foundation, is wrapping up a successful first year. Get to know the fellows, learn about their research, and find out what’s next for them in our latest blog: https://loom.ly/jC6O0-w

Danforth Center Associate Member @maliagehan.bsky.social studies how to detect plant stressors early, in ways that are practical for scientists and breeders to apply. Get to know Malia in Taylor Geospatial Institute’s spotlight: https://loom.ly/lVb8Or4

Our region's strength in plant science is known around the world, and it’s only growing 🌱 Read more in this story via AgFunder News. https://loom.ly/3fi6oJ4

We’re celebrating Danforth Center President @gilesoldroyd.bsky.social, PhD, who has been identified as a highly cited researcher for the 13th year in a row–congratulations, Giles! #HighlyCited2025 #Clarivate

🌱 Planned giving is powering Future Forward. Our late founding chair, Dr. William H. Danforth, helped secure the Center’s future with his estate gift—you can join that legacy. Read John & Ginny Rowe’s blog + see simple, tax-wise options: https://bit.ly/4oxmkjw #FutureForward

Harvest season on our Field Research Site isn’t just about collecting crops—we’re collecting critical data to support more sustainable, higher yielding agricultural practices for the future 🚜🌾🌎

Today we honor and thank all who have served. 🇺🇸 #VeteransDay

Ru Zhang, PhD, will lead a team of scientists in a new NSF-funded project that aims to find out how plant cells retain memory of heat stress. Learn how their work could help future crops adapt to heat: https://loom.ly/F214Eco

On #STEAMDay, we recognize the importance of students pursuing interests in science, technology, engineering, arts & math. Our Ed Research & Outreach team connects youths & educators with plant science, cutting edge tech, & real-world applications. Learn more: https://loom.ly/qK8Zwi0

You have the power to shape your legacy. 🌱 By making a planned gift to the Danforth Center, you can provide meaningful support for the people you care about and make a lasting difference for generations to come. Learn more: bit.ly/4lWM7QZ #PlantScience #PlannedGiving

Check out this X-ray tomography scan of all the internal features of a #Halloween pumpkin, which can be studied without being carved! Thanks to Keith Duncan of our X-ray CT Imaging Facility! Learn more about this cutting edge technology: https://loom.ly/2V7LhU4

We were thrilled to host the #FFARFellows on Tuesday! They toured our cutting-edge facilities and heard from our scientists how #plantscience impacts lives around the world! 🌱🌍✨

Last week, the Grand Farm Partner Trip visited our Field Research Site and learned about our research there. Thanks for the great conversations about #plantscience, #innovation, and the future of #agriculture!

As promised, here's a 3D volume rendering from an XRM scan of a single Arabidopsis flower, showing the anemone-like stigmatic structures on top of the carpel and array of ovules within. The carpel is ~300um in diameter. @danforthcenter.bsky.social @zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social

Mike DeCamp tells how the Danforth Center + @39northstl.bsky.social helped CoverCress turn a winter weed into renewable fuel. That’s Community Building: access to tech, experts, talent, mentors, capital. Join #FutureForward: http://bit.ly/4o8dskl#FutureForward #STLMade

To all who partied with us, thank you. 🥳🌱 #PartyWithThePlants #STLEvents

Meet our CSTM Member of the Month! 🎉 Ana Wisa fell in love with plants while growing sunflowers and earned a horticulture degree. Now, she cares for the plants that power discovery in our Plant Growth Facility and hopes to one day run her own greenhouse operation. Congrats, Ana!

Our region's strength in plant science is known around the world, and it’s only growing 🌱 Read more in this story via @stlmag.bsky.social: https://loom.ly/7lLyAbo

This month’s On the Vine is here! If you don’t already know, our monthly e-newsletter is the easiest way to follow along with all that’s going on at the Center. 📨 Check out our latest issue and be sure to sign up today! conta.cc/4ottaX2 #ScienceNews #PlantScience