Mary-Dell Chilton
Encyclopedia
Mary-Dell Chilton is a key founder of modern plant biotechnology
. She was the first (1977) to demonstrate the presence of a fragment of Agrobacterium
Ti plasmid
DNA in the nuclear DNA of crown gall
tissue. Her research on Agrobacterium also showed that the gene
s responsible for causing disease could be removed from the bacterium without adversely affecting its ability to insert its own DNA
into plant cells and modify the plants genome
. Chilton described what she had done as disarming the bacterial plasmid
responsible for the DNA transfer. She and her collaborators produced the first genetically modified plants using Agrobacterium carrying the disarmed Ti plasmid (1983). She has been called the "queen of Agrobacterium."
Chilton received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. While on faculty at Washington University in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chilton led a collaborative research study that produced the first transgenic plants. For her work with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, she has been recognized with an honorary doctorate from the University of Louvaine, the John Scott Medal from the City of Philadelphia, membership in the United States National Academy of Sciences
, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences from the Franklin Institute
. She was honored by the Crop Science Society of America in 2011 with the organization's Presidential Award.
Chilton is a Distinguished Science Fellow at Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., She began her corporate career in 1983 with CIBA-Geigy Corporation (a legacy company of Syngenta). Chilton is author of more than 100 scientific publications. In honor of her many achievements, in 2002 Syngenta announced creation of the Mary-Dell Chilton Center – a new administrative and conference center which was added to the company's facility in Research Triangle Park
, N.C.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
. She was the first (1977) to demonstrate the presence of a fragment of Agrobacterium
Agrobacterium
Agrobacterium is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria established by H. J. Conn that uses horizontal gene transfer to cause tumors in plants. Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the most commonly studied species in this genus...
Ti plasmid
Ti plasmid
Ti plasmid is a circular plasmid that often, but not always, is a part of the genetic equipment that Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rhizogenes use to transduce its genetic material to plants. Ti stands for tumor inducing. The Ti plasmid is lost when Agrobacterium is grown above 28°C....
DNA in the nuclear DNA of crown gall
Gall
Galls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms caused by invasion by other lifeforms, such as parasites or bacterial infection. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites...
tissue. Her research on Agrobacterium also showed that the gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s responsible for causing disease could be removed from the bacterium without adversely affecting its ability to insert its own DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
into plant cells and modify the plants genome
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
. Chilton described what she had done as disarming the bacterial plasmid
Plasmid
In microbiology and genetics, a plasmid is a DNA molecule that is separate from, and can replicate independently of, the chromosomal DNA. They are double-stranded and, in many cases, circular...
responsible for the DNA transfer. She and her collaborators produced the first genetically modified plants using Agrobacterium carrying the disarmed Ti plasmid (1983). She has been called the "queen of Agrobacterium."
Chilton received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. While on faculty at Washington University in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chilton led a collaborative research study that produced the first transgenic plants. For her work with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, she has been recognized with an honorary doctorate from the University of Louvaine, the John Scott Medal from the City of Philadelphia, membership in the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences from the Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
. She was honored by the Crop Science Society of America in 2011 with the organization's Presidential Award.
Chilton is a Distinguished Science Fellow at Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., She began her corporate career in 1983 with CIBA-Geigy Corporation (a legacy company of Syngenta). Chilton is author of more than 100 scientific publications. In honor of her many achievements, in 2002 Syngenta announced creation of the Mary-Dell Chilton Center – a new administrative and conference center which was added to the company's facility in Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
, N.C.