Research and Innovation
Feed the world. Protect the planet.
Extraordinary challenges require extraordinary solutions. For 150 years, the daring innovations of our graduates have shaped the world we know today. Now, we carry on that daring spirit, using cutting-edge technology and scientific advances to envision a better tomorrow.
Explore the exciting research we’re leading and the entrepreneurial ecosystem we’re building.
Explore Current Research
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Research & Innovation | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | University of Delaware 
Agricultural and Environmental Management
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Research & Innovation | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | University of Delaware 
Digital Agriculture, Robotics, and Environmental Sensing
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Research & Innovation | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | University of Delaware 
Human Dimensions of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources
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Research & Innovation | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | University of Delaware 
Ecology and Ecosystem Sciences
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Research & Innovation | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | University of Delaware 
Data Science and Statistics
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Research & Innovation | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | University of Delaware 
Food Production, Safety, and Policy
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Research & Innovation | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | University of Delaware 
Plant and Animal Health and Disease
University of Delaware tick research aims to understand host specificity of Lyme disease: youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=com.synechron.udel.models.functions.SubstrAfter
UD Research Initiatives
In an age of technology and innovation, the future has never looked more exciting.
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Global crops and drought
July 30, 2026 | Written by Adam Thomas | Illustration by Jeffrey C. ChaseA new study from the University of Delaware’s Kyle Davis examined production losses for 17 major crops accounting for three-quarters of the world’s food production and found that portions of the Midwestern United States, eastern Brazil, eastern Spain, and central and northern India were among the areas most sensitive to droughts. -
AI flower power
July 27, 2026 | Written by Katie Peikes | Photo illustration by Jeffrey C. ChaseYin Bao, University of Delaware assistant professor of digital agriculture, built a specialized AI tool called FLORIST to automatically analyze thousands of plant photos taken by everyday people, instead of manually sorting through 44,000 images. FLORIST efficiently filtered out the vast majority of photos that did not show active flowering, narrowing the dataset. Bao says the main takeaway is blending widespread public observations with deep genetic research gives a more complete understanding of how species evolve to survive in the wild. -
Phosphorus detective
July 16, 2026 | Written by Katie Peikes | Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and courtesy of Deb JaisiPhosphorus gives plants their daily nutritional needs. But whatever phosphorus a plant can’t consume creeps into waterways and speeds up algae growth that can kill fish and aquatic plants. Fascinated by these properties, University of Delaware professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry Deb Jaisi has dedicated his academic career to exploring phosphorus and its presence in the environment. His innovative research has unlocked new ways to pinpoint where the phosphorus causing environmental damage is coming from. -
Early Bloomer
March 10, 2026 | Written by Molly Schafer | Photos by Katie Young and Molly Schafer and courtesy of Joseph RomanoHonors plant science major Joseph Romano takes full advantage of UD’s undergraduate research opportunities. Romano studies the interaction between the fungus-like pathogen Pythium and maize plants with Qi Mu, assistant professor of molecular plant breeding and genomics. Romano joined Mu's lab during his first semester at UD.
Faculty expert spotlights
