Mary-Dell Chilton (1939 to 2026) was an American biochemist and inventor regarded as one of the founders of modern plant biotechnology. Working at Washington University in St. Louis and later as a Distinguished Science Fellow at Syngenta Biotechnology, she discovered in 1977 that DNA fragments from the Agrobacterium Ti plasmid could be found in the nuclear DNA of crown gall tumor tissue, a finding that underlies modern methods of genetically engineering plants. She was awarded the World Food Prize in 2013 and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2023, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Facts
Defining ContributionDiscovered in 1977 that Agrobacterium Ti plasmid DNA fragments integrate into the nuclear DNA of plant cells, a finding that underlies modern methods of genetically engineering plants. 1 In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Mary-Dell Chilton (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, first sentence
Mary-Dell Chilton (February 2, 1939, June 24, 2026) was an American biochemist, inventor and writer who was one of the founders of modern plant biotechnology.
Lead section, third sentence
Chilton was notable for her discovery of the presence of Agrobacterium Ti plasmid DNA fragments in the nuclear DNA of crown gall tissue in 1977.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.