Cornell seal
Back

Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

Two women review an apple tree in an orchard

Research

We accelerate purpose-driven science by supporting inquiry that crosses disciplinary boundaries and stretches from discovery to invention.

Purpose-driven science? We literally wrote the book on it.

The first undergraduate textbooks in mammology, ornithology and food science? Check. The first successful integration of botany and zoology in 1967’s Biological Science? Check. A 1925 handbook of nature study that is still a primary resource on the subject? Check.

The research of Cornell CALS scientists, students and staff hasn’t just informed discovery and innovation, but it is also the foundation upon which fields of study have been built.

In this section

Undergraduate research

Discovering new genes

Cameron Xu ’26 is using biometry and statistics to help Cornell CALS animal science professor Vimal Selvaraj identify new genes. Together, they’re investigating how steroid hormones regulate the body’s processes, uncovering new knowledge that could advance cancer research and solve other human health challenges.

Explore synthetic biology at CALS
Play CALS Undergraduate Research Experience: Cameron Xu '26

Latest news, discoveries and breakthroughs

Explore the work we’re doing today and discover how it’s reshaping tomorrow.

soft robot gripper with strawberry

News

Handle with care: Soft robot gripper picks ripe fruit without bruising

Cornell researchers used stretchable fiber-optic sensors to create a soft robot gripper that can predict the ripeness of strawberries by touch, then pick them without causing any damage.

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Horticulture Section
  • Fruits
Close up of wildflowers in a field

News

Temperature shifts change plant proteins powering photosynthesis

Plants adjust to temperature changes, in part, by switching the way they express Rubisco, the protein that performs the critical first step of photosynthesis, according to new research from Cornell and partners.

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Biology Section
  • Plants
Illustration of three piles of manure with a photo of a gardener with soil in their hands

News

Animal and human waste could slash synthetic fertilizer use in US

Waste could fulfill 102% of nitrogen and 50% of phosphorus needs for the nation’s agriculture, and significant amounts could be distributed locally and sustainably.

  • Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
View more news & stories
Research in lab

Undergraduate opportunities

Plant Science researchers working in a lab.
Graduate student grants

Opportunities include Andrew W. Mellon Student Research Grants, Arthur Boller Research Fund, Kieckhefer Adirondack Fellowships and Grant Proposal Application Instructions

researcher in field

Faculty research support