Last night, Dr. Giles Oldroyd took the stage for his first public address as president of the Danforth Center, and he came with a vision for how plant science can save the world. Thanks to everyone who joined us—we hope you're feeling inspired. Learn more: https://campaign.danforthcenter.org/

Evaluating nitrogen uptake: Methods and applications for plant research A new #AppsPlantSci review by Pierce, @razda5.bsky.social, Huddell & @erinsparks.bsky.social bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... @danforthcenter.bsky.social #botany #plantscience #nitrogenfertilization #nanoSIMS

Nadia Shakoor, PhD, has been selected to receive the inaugural Innovation Award from the Academy of Science – St. Louis! Nadia is a principal investigator at the Danforth Center and the Chief Science Officer of Agrela Ecosystems, a St. Louis–based technology company. Congratulations, Nadia! 🎉

From lab bench to field—celebrating farmers and ag innovators who feed the world. Happy #NationalAgricultureDay #NationalAgDay

Meet our CSTM Member of the Month! Josh is a data scientist in our Data Science Facility, where his work focuses on supporting research projects and developing & maintaining the PlantCV and PCVR softwares. He's known for his fluency in the programming language R. Congrats, Josh! 🎉

This Sunday is #WorldWaterDay! Plant science can develop crops that need less water and that protect our watersheds. Take cover crops: not only do they help prevent soil erosion, but they absorb runoff to keep our streams and rivers clean 🦦🫧🐟🪷🦆 https://youtu.be/Umz5UADY45A?si=6zB88Amf2ngamdrC

Dr. Ru Zhang is leading a DOE grant to study sorghum photosynthesis. The implications could also shed light ☀️ on other crops—like maize, rice, & more: https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/danforth-center-scientist-leads-new-department-of-energy-grant-to-unlock-the-secrets-of-sorghum-photosynthesis/

Danforth Center scientists are co-authors on a landmark study published today in @nature.com: the 1st comprehensive sorghum pangenome. Breeding better sorghum has been limited by an incomplete picture of its genetic diversity—until now. https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/global-sorghum-pangenome/

901 curious minds showed up for PlantTech Jam 2026 to connect with Danforth Center scientists. Thanks to you, we had a blast! See the highlights and photos from the day: https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/planttechjam/

President @gilesoldroyd.bsky.social is energized by the power of plant science—and by the strength of the #STL community rising to meet the moment. Don't miss the interview in @stlmag.bsky.social: https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/st-louis-magazine-st-louis-business-500-qa-with-giles-oldroyd/

The fruit fly of plant science for #3DThursday! 🌱 #ModelOrganism 🔬: #microCT, Zeiss @zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social Versa 520 XRM (contrast-enhanced with OsO₄) 🌱: Arabidopsis thaliana 🥼: Keith Duncan @cygnusplantxray.bsky.social 🏛️: Danforth Center @danforthcenter.bsky.social 🎬: syGlass.io #syGlass

Talk about multitasking. Sentinel plants developed at @danforthcenter.bsky.social may one day not only grow our food, but also act as living biosensors to report on the conditions of their own fields. 🌱🌱🌱

Danforth Center Scientist Antonio Brazelton's research on heirloom collard greens at JJK FAN is blending community, culture, & science in powerful ways. 🥬 Watch to see how: https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/hec-media-cultivating-a-better-collard-green/ #plantscience #collardgreens #urbanfarming

🚨LAST CALL FOR APPLICATIONS! In our Summer Undergraduate Research Program, you'll work alongside world-class plant scientists & learn about the broader impact of scientific discovery. Apply by 3/2: https://www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/education-outreach/undergraduate-program/internship-program/

Our Plant Growth Facility team has transformed the way we manage pests by deploying beneficial predator insects as a natural line of defense. Read our blog to see how these tiny teammates work: https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/integrated-pest-management-growing-greener-with-beneficial-bugs/

To every girl who's curious about how plants feed the world—you belong in science. 💡🌱 Happy #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience

Regenerative ag took center stage at @biostl.bsky.social's Global AgriFood Innovation Summit. @gilesoldroyd.bsky.social sees great opportunity to use advances in crop genetics, AI, & new tech to boost productivity & profitability within regen farming systems. Read more in @stlmag.bsky.social:

President Giles Oldroyd welcomed attendees of the @biostl.bsky.social Global AgriFood Innovation Summit and shared thoughts about the opportunities to use research & development to make regenerative agriculture profitable. #regenag #sustainability #agtech #foodsecurity

We were proud to host #agtech innovators and leaders from across the globe who are here for the @biostl.bsky.social Global AgriFood innovation Summit. 🎥 Tune in to see what makes St. Louis a powerful hub for global collaboration and innovation in agtech: fox2now.com/news/missour...

The vitality of the #STL #agtech innovation community is on display this week as we welcome a delegation of 20 global leaders for the ARISE (AgriTech for Resilience, Innovation & Sustainable Ecosystems) initiative. Learn more: https://www.stlmag.com/business/arise-agtech-delegation-visits-st-louis/

🔥 Spearhead Bio is a startup to watch! Their breakthrough genome editing technology, developed through Danforth Center research, supports the development of resilient crops & more secure harvests. https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/st-louis-business-journal-spearhead-bio-named-startup-to-watch/

This #BlackHistoryMonth, the Danforth Center is celebrating Black scientists and innovators whose work moves plant science—and opportunity—forward. Learn more about our scientists: https://www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/principal-investigators/

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is seeking an Information Technology Security Manager to join our team! Apply here: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/portal/0386834D209CD1EA462A147F53A126FF/jobs/333718

🎉 Congratulations to @kmurphyphd.bsky.social, Principal Investigator and Director of the Phenotyping Core Facility at the Danforth Center—she has been selected to receive the Science Educator Award from the Academy of Science – St. Louis! Read more: www.danforthcenter.org/news/danfort...

Our President, @gilesoldroyd.bsky.social is stepping up to the mic with @sarahfenske.bsky.social, where he shares what drew him to move to #STL and join the Danforth Center—and why he believes this region is uniquely positioned to make a global impact. 🎧 Tune in: www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314...

Meet Getu Beyene Duguma, PhD, Member and Principal Investigator at the Danforth Center. Getu’s research is making a positive impact on some of the same food security crops he grew up farming in Ethiopia. https://www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/principal-investigators/getu-beyene-duguma/

We are honored to welcome Dr. Cary Fowler as the Danforth Center’s newest Board Director. Dr. Fowler is President of the Food Security Leadership Council and the 2024 World Food Prize Laureate. His expertise and leadership make him an invaluable addition to our board. https://loom.ly/7bd4GiY

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Danforth Center honors service to others—and recommits to science in service of all people.

Nigel Taylor, PhD, helped lay the groundwork for modern research on cassava and works with partners in Rwanda and Kenya to develop more resilient and nutritious cassava. Meet Nigel and learn more about his work: https://www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/principal-investigators/nigel-taylor/

Gratuitous X-ray microscopy imaging, a "bouquet" of developing soybean flowers. @zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social @danforthcenter.bsky.social

In an international effort funded by the Gates Foundation, Nigel Taylor, PhD, & the Danforth Center are partnering on the new Rwanda Capacity Building (BioCap) Project, led by @cipotato.org, to establish a Rwandan Centre of Excellence for Crop Biotechnology & advance food security. loom.ly/4KW17iM

Principal Investigator Dmitri A. Nusinow, PhD, and his lab study the circadian clock, aiming to learn more about how light and temperature shape plant growth and development. Learn more about his work on our website: loom.ly/ifAg5cI

Big shoutout to Nadia Shakoor @nadiashakoor.bsky.social — featured in St. Louis Magazine’s Movers & Shapers! 👏 From plant genetics to leading Agrela Ecosystems & building real-time crop sensing tech — Nadia is advancing sustainable agtech and food security. 🌱 lnkd.in/g_5UHk2W #StLouis #Innovation

Plants that turn purple to warn us about unwanted chemicals: Danforth Center scientists @meter76.bsky.social & @maliagehan.bsky.social led a team that enabled grasses—including corn—to act as living biosensors that change color when they detect specific chemicals. Learn more: loom.ly/D1B_eYY

To all who donated to the Danforth Center in 2025, thank you. 💚 We deeply appreciate your decision to show your support, invest in the work we do, and be part of our mission. Thank you again, and happy New Year! #Gratitude #STLNonprofit

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....