Michigan State University Hannah Distinguished Professor Cheryl Kerfeld loves symmetry. It’s easy to understand why; she sees it at the microscopic level every day.
Kerfeld and her team in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are finding new, innovative solutions to issues of food security and bioenergy. Through a variety of methods that transcend boundaries in the plant research laboratory, Kerfeld examines single-cell organisms and studies the process of photosynthesis.
To move the field forward, Kerfeld says a global effort to share knowledge is essential—and so is funding.
“The endowed chairs allow us to act on hunches and insights,” said Kerfeld. “So we can really ramp up the pace and advance the field with these kinds of funds…funding that allows me to be flexible about where it's spent, we can act on our ideas much more quickly.”
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