Posts by Gabriella Maria Giannini

Plants produce phenylalanine, an essential amino acid used in defense, growth and development, as well as to produce the aromatics that attract pollinators. People and animals don’t produce phenylalanine but need it to live, getting it from plants in our diets.

Algal blooms grow in all 50 states and across the globe, yet they largely remain a mystery. A nearly $2 million National Science Foundation grant gives Jennifer Wisecaver, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, the opportunity to learn what conditions lead to these disruptions in aquatic ecosystems.

Purdue scientists have long studied “invasive species,” or non-native plants, animals or microbes. Now they’re recruiting Indiana citizens to help protect the state from these species, which often spread aggressively, replace native organisms and pose threats to human health and well-being, the environment and our economy.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers recently named the DEHYTRAY one of the year’s 50 best product innovations in agricultural, food and biological systems.