Farm with field, corn, farmhouse, and blue sky with white fluffy clouds

Plant Forward

Seeding the future through plant research that advances discovery, inspires innovation, and accelerates impact

Seeding the future through plant research that advances discovery, inspires innovation, and accelerates impact

Plant Forward builds on the strong foundation of PlantWorks and Penn State’s longstanding strength in plant research to spark discovery, drive innovation, and deliver real-world impact. Rooted in collaboration and inspired by possibility, the initiative brings together interdisciplinary research to seed the future and help address some of society’s most pressing challenges:

  • protecting crops from emerging threats
  • improving farm profitability
  • advancing human health
  • restoring soil productivity
  • pioneering alternative uses for plant-based products

Penn State is uniquely positioned to connect these priorities through one integrated research ecosystem and one next-generation platform for discovery and deployment.

Plant Science with Broad Public Impact

This initiative is organized around outcomes that matter across agriculture, health, and the economy.

  • More profitable production: Penn State research helps growers reduce risk, improve efficiency, lower input dependence, and increase the value of what they produce.
  • New markets and new uses: Research in functional foods, biomaterials, plant-based compounds, and bioenergy creates new opportunities for agricultural and forestry producers.
  • Better nutrition and health: Penn State is advancing crops and plant-derived compounds that improve food quality, dietary health, and the understanding of how plants influence human well-being.
  • Stronger protection against threats: Penn State researchers are improving early detection, surveillance, and response for pests, pathogens, and invasive species that threaten productivity and stability.
  • Healthier soils, farms, and ecosystems: By connecting soil health, microbiome science, plant resilience, and regenerative systems, Penn State supports the long-term productivity of agricultural landscapes.
  • Workforce development: Preparing the next generation of plant scientists and innovators to strengthen the workforce, fuel economic growth, and address challenges in agriculture, sustainability, and human health.

Five Research Priorities

Penn State is accelerating the development of crops and plant-based compounds that improve nutrition, support health, and create higher-value opportunities for producers.

Focus areas

  • Functional foods and bioactive compounds
  • Precision nutrition and food systems biology
  • Diet-microbiome interactions
  • Micronutrient enhancement and metabolic engineering

Why it matters

  • This work bridges plant discovery to human well-being while expanding and opening new agricultural markets for nutritious foods and plant-derived products.

Penn State is unlocking plant potential by developing plant-based fuels, materials, and biomass systems that create value far beyond traditional agricultural uses.

Focus areas

  • Cell wall biology and biomass optimization
  • Lignocellulosic crop development
  • Cellulose-based and bio-derived materials
  • Circular bioeconomy systems and sustainable design

Why it matters

  • This research reimagines agricultural and forest resources, expanding their economic potential while supporting the transition to lower-carbon materials and energy systems.

Penn State is developing innovative technologies to turn biological and production data into decision-ready tools that help growers improve efficiency, reduce losses, and adapt to uncertainty.

Focus areas

  • AI, sensors and robotics
  • Predictive modeling and decision support tools
  • Automated crop monitoring and management
  • Pest and disease surveillance
  • Controlled environment optimization

Why it matters

  • This work helps producers make faster, smarter decisions with direct implications for cost, risk, crop protection, and resilience.

Penn State is transforming our understanding about how plants, soils, microbes, and ecosystems interact to build resilience under stress.

Focus areas

  • Stress biology and environmental adaptation
  • Soil microbiomes and rhizosphere interactions
  • Pollinator and ecosystem health
  • Regenerative ag systems

Why it matters

  • This systems-level research supports stronger crops, more resilient farms, and more sustainable production landscapes under changing conditions

Penn State is advancing plant systems by integrating molecular plant health research with soil science, precision monitoring, and integrated pest management.

Focus areas

  • Host-pathogen interactions and disease resistance
  • Plant virology and molecular epidemiology
  • Invasive species detection and management
  • Soil health, microbiomes, and plant immunity

Why it matters

  • This work helps protect yield, reduce crop loss, improve long-term productivity, and keep agricultural systems healthier under growing biological threats.

Why Continued Investment in Penn State Plant Science Matters

  • Economic value: Penn State research helps create higher-value crops, new products, and more efficient production systems that strengthen farm businesses, rural economies, and agricultural competitiveness.
  • Public benefit: This work advances healthier foods, more resilient agricultural systems, stronger environmental stewardship, and better protection against emerging biological threats.
  • Speed to impact: With integrated facilities and interdisciplinary collaboration, Penn State can move more quickly from scientific insight to usable tools, practices, and products.
  • Long-term capacity: Investment supports not only discovery today, but also the workforce, infrastructure, and innovation pipeline needed to meet the challenges ahead.

The Plant Innovation Complex: Infrastructure for Discovery and Translation

The Plant Innovation Complex is the platform that allows Penn State’s plant science strengths to work together at greater speed, scale, and impact.

  • Integrated research pipeline: The facility will connect molecular science, controlled environments, greenhouse systems, and production-relevant testing in one seamless research ecosystem.
  • Whole-plant visibility: Advanced imaging, in situ phenotyping, root observation, and real-time measurement will allow researchers to study plants from roots to shoots without disrupting growth.
  • Preparedness and responsiveness: Specialized containment, environmental simulation, and interdisciplinary convergence spaces will support work on emerging pests, pathogens, invasive species, and future growing conditions.

Plant Stories

Discover how plant science at Penn State is shaping the future through stories of innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact. From breakthroughs in crop resilience and sustainability to advances in biotechnology, ecology, and human health, these news stories highlight the people and ideas driving progress across the University. Explore the latest headlines to see how plant research is improving lives, strengthening communities, and helping address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Read Penn State Plant Science News Stories Read stories from the latest Ag Science Magazine

Contacts

Initiative Leaders

Christina Grozinger

Director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology

Troy Ott

Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences; C. Lee Rumberger and Family Chair in Agricultural Sciences; Professor of Reproductive Physiology

Tracy Langkilde

Verne M. Willaman Dean of the Eberly College of Science; Professor of Biology

Beth Gugino

Associate Dean for Research Operations and Graduate Education; Associate Director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural State Experiment Station

Plant Science at Penn State

Explore the breadth of plant-focused work across Penn State by visiting the many units advancing discovery, education, and engagement in this vital field. From collaborative Networks, Centers, and Institutes driving interdisciplinary research, to Educational Programs preparing the next generation of plant scientists, to Museums, Collections, and Living Laboratories that bring plant science to life, each section offers a unique window into the University’s wide-ranging plant expertise and impact.

Networks, Centers, and Institutes

Educational Programs

Museums, Collections, and Living Laboratories

Plant Forward builds on the strong foundation of PlantWorks and Penn State’s longstanding strength in plant research to spark discovery, drive innovation, and deliver real-world impact. Rooted in collaboration and inspired by possibility, the initiative brings together interdisciplinary research to seed the future and help address some of society’s most pressing challenges:

  • protecting crops from emerging threats
  • improving farm profitability
  • advancing human health
  • restoring soil productivity
  • pioneering alternative uses for plant-based products

Penn State is uniquely positioned to connect these priorities through one integrated research ecosystem and one next-generation platform for discovery and deployment.

Plant Science with Broad Public Impact

This initiative is organized around outcomes that matter across agriculture, health, and the economy.

  • More profitable production: Penn State research helps growers reduce risk, improve efficiency, lower input dependence, and increase the value of what they produce.
  • New markets and new uses: Research in functional foods, biomaterials, plant-based compounds, and bioenergy creates new opportunities for agricultural and forestry producers.
  • Better nutrition and health: Penn State is advancing crops and plant-derived compounds that improve food quality, dietary health, and the understanding of how plants influence human well-being.
  • Stronger protection against threats: Penn State researchers are improving early detection, surveillance, and response for pests, pathogens, and invasive species that threaten productivity and stability.
  • Healthier soils, farms, and ecosystems: By connecting soil health, microbiome science, plant resilience, and regenerative systems, Penn State supports the long-term productivity of agricultural landscapes.
  • Workforce development: Preparing the next generation of plant scientists and innovators to strengthen the workforce, fuel economic growth, and address challenges in agriculture, sustainability, and human health.

Five Research Priorities

Penn State is accelerating the development of crops and plant-based compounds that improve nutrition, support health, and create higher-value opportunities for producers.

Focus areas

  • Functional foods and bioactive compounds
  • Precision nutrition and food systems biology
  • Diet-microbiome interactions
  • Micronutrient enhancement and metabolic engineering

Why it matters

  • This work bridges plant discovery to human well-being while expanding and opening new agricultural markets for nutritious foods and plant-derived products.

Penn State is unlocking plant potential by developing plant-based fuels, materials, and biomass systems that create value far beyond traditional agricultural uses.

Focus areas

  • Cell wall biology and biomass optimization
  • Lignocellulosic crop development
  • Cellulose-based and bio-derived materials
  • Circular bioeconomy systems and sustainable design

Why it matters

  • This research reimagines agricultural and forest resources, expanding their economic potential while supporting the transition to lower-carbon materials and energy systems.

Penn State is developing innovative technologies to turn biological and production data into decision-ready tools that help growers improve efficiency, reduce losses, and adapt to uncertainty.

Focus areas

  • AI, sensors and robotics
  • Predictive modeling and decision support tools
  • Automated crop monitoring and management
  • Pest and disease surveillance
  • Controlled environment optimization

Why it matters

  • This work helps producers make faster, smarter decisions with direct implications for cost, risk, crop protection, and resilience.

Penn State is transforming our understanding about how plants, soils, microbes, and ecosystems interact to build resilience under stress.

Focus areas

  • Stress biology and environmental adaptation
  • Soil microbiomes and rhizosphere interactions
  • Pollinator and ecosystem health
  • Regenerative ag systems

Why it matters

  • This systems-level research supports stronger crops, more resilient farms, and more sustainable production landscapes under changing conditions

Penn State is advancing plant systems by integrating molecular plant health research with soil science, precision monitoring, and integrated pest management.

Focus areas

  • Host-pathogen interactions and disease resistance
  • Plant virology and molecular epidemiology
  • Invasive species detection and management
  • Soil health, microbiomes, and plant immunity

Why it matters

  • This work helps protect yield, reduce crop loss, improve long-term productivity, and keep agricultural systems healthier under growing biological threats.

Why Continued Investment in Penn State Plant Science Matters

  • Economic value: Penn State research helps create higher-value crops, new products, and more efficient production systems that strengthen farm businesses, rural economies, and agricultural competitiveness.
  • Public benefit: This work advances healthier foods, more resilient agricultural systems, stronger environmental stewardship, and better protection against emerging biological threats.
  • Speed to impact: With integrated facilities and interdisciplinary collaboration, Penn State can move more quickly from scientific insight to usable tools, practices, and products.
  • Long-term capacity: Investment supports not only discovery today, but also the workforce, infrastructure, and innovation pipeline needed to meet the challenges ahead.

The Plant Innovation Complex: Infrastructure for Discovery and Translation

The Plant Innovation Complex is the platform that allows Penn State’s plant science strengths to work together at greater speed, scale, and impact.

  • Integrated research pipeline: The facility will connect molecular science, controlled environments, greenhouse systems, and production-relevant testing in one seamless research ecosystem.
  • Whole-plant visibility: Advanced imaging, in situ phenotyping, root observation, and real-time measurement will allow researchers to study plants from roots to shoots without disrupting growth.
  • Preparedness and responsiveness: Specialized containment, environmental simulation, and interdisciplinary convergence spaces will support work on emerging pests, pathogens, invasive species, and future growing conditions.

Plant Stories

Discover how plant science at Penn State is shaping the future through stories of innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact. From breakthroughs in crop resilience and sustainability to advances in biotechnology, ecology, and human health, these news stories highlight the people and ideas driving progress across the University. Explore the latest headlines to see how plant research is improving lives, strengthening communities, and helping address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Read Penn State Plant Science News Stories Read stories from the latest Ag Science Magazine

Contacts

Initiative Leaders

Christina Grozinger

Director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology

Troy Ott

Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences; C. Lee Rumberger and Family Chair in Agricultural Sciences; Professor of Reproductive Physiology

Tracy Langkilde

Verne M. Willaman Dean of the Eberly College of Science; Professor of Biology

Beth Gugino

Associate Dean for Research Operations and Graduate Education; Associate Director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural State Experiment Station

Plant Science at Penn State

Explore the breadth of plant-focused work across Penn State by visiting the many units advancing discovery, education, and engagement in this vital field. From collaborative Networks, Centers, and Institutes driving interdisciplinary research, to Educational Programs preparing the next generation of plant scientists, to Museums, Collections, and Living Laboratories that bring plant science to life, each section offers a unique window into the University’s wide-ranging plant expertise and impact.

Networks, Centers, and Institutes

Educational Programs

Museums, Collections, and Living Laboratories