Frits Warmolt Went
Encyclopedia
Frits Warmolt Went was a Dutch
biologist whose 1928 experiment demonstrated the existence of auxin
in plants.
Went's father was the prominent Dutch botanist F.A.F.C. Went
. After graduating from the University of Utrecht, Holland in 1927 with a dissertation on the effects of plant hormone called auxin, Went then worked as a Plant Pathologist in the research labs of the Royal Botanical Garden, in Buitenzorg, Dutch East Indies, now Bogor, Indonesia from 1927 to 1933. He then took a position at Caltech in Pasadena, California
, first researching plant hormones. His interest gradually shifted to environmental influences on plant growth. At Caltech he was among the first to demonstrate the importance of hormones in plant growth and development. He played an important role in the development of synthetic plant hormones, which then became the basis of much of the agricultural chemical industry.
Funded by generous donors, Went constructed a series of greenhouses at Caltech in which he could vary light conditions, humidity, temperature, air quality and other variables. In 1949 this led to him to construct a large new complex of climate-controlled rooms called the Earhart Plant Research Laboratory, also known as the "phytotron". Here he produced foundational research of the effects of air pollution
on plant growth.
In 1958 Went was appointed director of the Missouri Botanical Garden
and professor of Botany at Washington University in St Louis, at a point where he had become a world recognized authority on plant growth. He moved from Pasadena to St. Louis with his wife Catharina and their two children, Hans and Anneka. After the opening of the Climatron
, the world's first geodesic dome greenhouse, Went’s vision of a renewed Missouri Botanical Garden eventually came into conflict with that of its Board of Trustees, and he resigned as Director in 1963. After two years as simply Professor of Botany at Washington University, in 1965 he then became director of the Desert Research Institute at the University of Nevada-Reno, where he continued his research on desert plants for the remainder of his career. He remained active in many fields of botany until his death in 1990.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
biologist whose 1928 experiment demonstrated the existence of auxin
Auxin
Auxins are a class of plant hormones with some morphogen-like characteristics. Auxins have a cardinal role in coordination of many growth and behavioral processes in the plant's life cycle and are essential for plant body development. Auxins and their role in plant growth were first described by...
in plants.
Went's father was the prominent Dutch botanist F.A.F.C. Went
Frits Went
Friedrich August Ferdinand Christian Went ForMemRS was a Dutch botanist, professor of botany and director of the Botanical Garden at the University of Utrecht...
. After graduating from the University of Utrecht, Holland in 1927 with a dissertation on the effects of plant hormone called auxin, Went then worked as a Plant Pathologist in the research labs of the Royal Botanical Garden, in Buitenzorg, Dutch East Indies, now Bogor, Indonesia from 1927 to 1933. He then took a position at Caltech in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, first researching plant hormones. His interest gradually shifted to environmental influences on plant growth. At Caltech he was among the first to demonstrate the importance of hormones in plant growth and development. He played an important role in the development of synthetic plant hormones, which then became the basis of much of the agricultural chemical industry.
Funded by generous donors, Went constructed a series of greenhouses at Caltech in which he could vary light conditions, humidity, temperature, air quality and other variables. In 1949 this led to him to construct a large new complex of climate-controlled rooms called the Earhart Plant Research Laboratory, also known as the "phytotron". Here he produced foundational research of the effects of air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
on plant growth.
In 1958 Went was appointed director of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist.-History:...
and professor of Botany at Washington University in St Louis, at a point where he had become a world recognized authority on plant growth. He moved from Pasadena to St. Louis with his wife Catharina and their two children, Hans and Anneka. After the opening of the Climatron
Climatron
The Climatron is a greenhouse enclosed in a geodesic dome that is part of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Initiated by then Garden director Frits W. Went the dome is the world's first completely air-conditioned greenhouse and the first geodesic dome to be enclosed in rigid Plexiglass ...
, the world's first geodesic dome greenhouse, Went’s vision of a renewed Missouri Botanical Garden eventually came into conflict with that of its Board of Trustees, and he resigned as Director in 1963. After two years as simply Professor of Botany at Washington University, in 1965 he then became director of the Desert Research Institute at the University of Nevada-Reno, where he continued his research on desert plants for the remainder of his career. He remained active in many fields of botany until his death in 1990.