2024-01-08 09:52:29
National Medal of Technology and Innovation awarded to Syngenta plant research pioneer Mary-Dell Chilton
AGDAILY Reporters*
Mary-Dell Chilton (image : Syngenta)
Mary-Dell Chilton, one of the most distinguished employees in Syngenta’s history and a woman known as the “Mother of Genetic Editing,” received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation of President Joe Biden. The award was presented at a ceremony last month.
Ms. Chilton, who holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, led the Syngenta research team that produced the first transgenic plant and pioneered the field of biotechnology plant, discovering new methods to improve the ability of plants to fight parasites and resist extreme conditions. She retired in 2018 at the age of 79, following a 35-year career with Syngenta.
“Mary-Dell Chilton is a true pioneer and icon of our industry, and this extraordinary award further validates the breadth and impact of her contributions to the field,” said Mr. Justin Wolfe, President of Syngenta Seeds. “We are honored to recognize this achievement alongside our former colleague and leader who inspired innovative thinking and approaches to research during her 35 years at Syngenta and beyond. »
The award is the latest recognition in a history of awards and accomplishments for Ms. Chilton, including being honored with the Golden Goose Award on September 27, which celebrates federally funded research that benefits society. She also received the World Food Prize in 2013 and the Benjamin Franklin medal.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ms. Chilton took inspiration from nature to transfer a naturally occurring Agrobacterium into the gene of a tobacco plant. She led a collaborative research study at Washington University in St. Louis, and although the GM tobacco she worked on never made it to market, that’s where she figured out how to do it.
“DNA was the driving force of my interest from the beginning of my graduate studies in the early 1960s,” she explains in a biography published on the Syngenta website. “The question of whether genes might be transferred to a higher plant was then a burning topic. »
Ms. Chilton is widely recognized as one of the founders of modern plant biotechnology, having demonstrated, with her research teams, that Agrobacterium is an efficient vehicle for DNA transfer and producing the first transgenic plant. His innovative work in academia and the private sector ultimately led to the development and commercialization of biotechnology crops, which help farmers effectively manage insect pests, disease complexes, weed pressure and abiotic stress , which results in increased yields, profitability and efficiency.
“Few people have left as indelible a mark on our industry and society as Mary-Dell Chilton,” said Mr. Michiel van Lookeren Campagne, Head of Global Seed Research at Syngenta, upon the retirement of Mrs. Mary-Dell Chilton. “His curiosity, his sense of innovation and his hard work contributed to the advent of a new era in agriculture. During his 35 years with Syngenta and a legacy company [Ciba-Geigy], she shaped our biotech seed research program into the strong R&D engine it is today, and she will always be part of the Syngenta family. »
Here is the full list of Ms. Chilton’s awards:
Here is a complete list of Chilton’s awards:
National Academy of Sciences, 1985
Rank Prize in Nutrition (Royaume-Uni), 1986
David Gottlieb Medal, University of Illinois, 1986
Hendricks Medal, American Chemical Society, 1987
John Scott Award, City of Philadelphia, 2000
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, 2002
Washington University, St. Louis, Distinguished Professorship in Arts and Sciences, 2009
CSSA Presidential Award, Crop Science Society of America, 2011
Triangle Business Journal Lifetime Achievement Award, 2013
Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, 2013
Raleigh News & Observer Tar Heel of the Year, 2013
USDA Hall of Heroes Inductee, 2015
National Inventors Hall of Fame, 2015
National Academy of Inventors Inductee, 2016
World Changer Award, Research Triangle Park Rotary Club, 2018
Golden Goose Award, 2023
National Medal of Technology and Innovation, 2023
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* Source : Iconic Syngenta plant scientist awarded National Medal of Technology (agdaily.com)
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