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The Leaflet is a quarterly publication for partners, friends,
and supporters of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
I S S U E
T h e L e a f l e t
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The Danforth Center has insti-tuted two awards to recognizeindividuals who have beeninstrumental in the developmentof the St. Louis region as a centerfor plant science and in theadvancement of plant scienceresearch. The awardees will behonored at the Danforth Center’sfirst annual awards presentationon November 1, 2002.
U.S. Senator for Missouri KitBond and President and CEO ofMonsanto Company HendrikVerfaillie will receive theDanforth Distinguished ServiceAward. Dr. Mary-Dell Chilton,Distinguished Science Fellowand Principal Scientist II atSyngenta Biotechnology Inc.,will receive the Danforth Awardfor Plant Science.
Senator Bond will be recognizedfor his many long-standingefforts in support of the plant and agricultural sciences as well as for his support of theDanforth Center. His efforts inWashington, D.C. have helpedthe Center to secure federal
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Terrace Named
Hendrik A. Verfaillie The HonorableChristopher S. “Kit” Bond
The Danforth Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding individuals or organizations that have been impor-tant partners in the development of the Donald Danforth PlantScience Center and/or in the development of St. Louis as aninternational center for plant science.
Dr. Mary-Dell Chilton
The Danforth PlantScience Awardrecognizes a prominentnational or internationalleader for outstandingachievement and service in the conduct and/or advocacy of science for thebenefit of agriculture, food,nutrition, or human health.
Wambugu & Koprowski Speak at Center
What’s Happening in the BioBelt?
News Briefs
Focus on Research
Danforth Center Alliance:Research News
Media Feature
Three to Be Honored at Danfor th Center Event
funding for the construction ofthe greenhouse complex, grantsfor major equipment, and grantsfor research activities targeted at bringing the benefits of agri-cultural biotechnology to the developing world.
Mr. Verfaillie is one of the found-ing visionaries of the DanforthCenter. As a member of the boardof trustees he continues to workto make the Center and its pro-grams a success. In addition, heis a tireless champion of theefforts to promote the St. Louisregion as the BioBelt—a thrivingcenter for plant and life sciencesresearch, development, and com-mercialization.
Dr. Chilton was instrumental inearly research in microbiologyand plant biology which showedhow DNA was transferred frombacterial cells to plant cells. Herresearch led to the developmentof technologies that she and others used to develop the firsttransgenic plant in 1982. Currentplant science research benefitsgreatly from her pioneering work.
The Danforth Awards will be presented during “An Evening of Exploration” on November 1 at the Center. The eveningwill feature music, food, and drink, and each guest will have the opportunity to become a scientist for the evening.Guests can see and use sophisticated equipment and technology employed by Danforth Center scientists in theirdaily research. If you would like to attend the event, pleasecall the Development Office at 314-587-1070.
T h e L e a f l e t2
Terrace Named at Danfor th Center
d o n o r sSenior Research Sponsor ($10,000 - $24,999)Mr. & Mrs. J. Hord Armstrong, IIIInterco Charitable Trust
Fellows Research Sponsor ($5,000 - $9,999)Mr. & Mrs. John C. DanforthJim & Maebelle Reed
Scholar Research Sponsor ($2,500 - $4,999)Dr. & Mrs. Robert T. FraleyMr.* & Mrs. Charles GuggenheimMr. & Mrs. Kenneth KranzbergMr. Richard P. Tolan, Ms. Tina M.
Hoechst, and familyMary Ann & Michael Van LokerenMr. & Mrs. James von der Heydt
Research Sponsor ($1,000 - $2,499)Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. BarnesMr. & Mrs. Jack BarsantiBen & Janet BrinkCASCOMrs. Donald Danforth, Jr. Miss Carol B. Danforth
Matching GiftsMonsanto FundPhilip Morris Companies Inc.
Tribute Gifts In honor of
Jan & Dale FanterLinda Fanter
Every attempt has been made to assure the accuracy of this list. In case of error or omission, please contact the Development Office at the Danforth Center.* Deceased
Donors
Gifts Received Between June 28 and September 30, 2002
Mr. Christopher B. DanforthESCO Technologies Inc.Ms. Linda Fanter Mr. & Mrs. Whitney R. HarrisSally & Bruce HigginbothamSally & Ned LemkemeierLuke Kissam & Kathryn Schanen KissamJanet M. & Newell S. Knight, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. MelzerRick OertliOsborn & Barr CommunicationsEmily & Derek RappDr. & Mrs. Timothy RootMr. & Mrs. Robert M. SankeyMr. & Mrs. Warren M. ShapleighFrank & Teg StokesThomas J. Ward, D.D.S.
Additional GiftsCommercial Property Services Inc.
The end of the year can be a goodtime to review important financialmatters, including your charitablegift commitments. This may beespecially true in 2002, as provi-sions of last year’s tax legislationcontinue to be phased in.
On September 16, 2002, the rooftopterrace on the northern side of theDanforth Center facility was dedicatedto Dotty and Jeff Miller in recognitionof their generous support of theDanforth Center. A plaque naming theterrace for Mr. and Mrs. Miller wasunveiled at the ceremony. The namingof the terrace was the first such dedication since the building opened in October 2001 and is especially meaningful because it acknowledges the continued involvement of members of theDanforth family in ensuring our success. Dr. Roger Beachy, president of the
Danforth Center, Dr. William Danforth,chairman of the board of trustees, andformer senator Jack Danforth were onhand to thank the Millers for their giftto the Center. Mrs. Miller, Dr. Danforth,and Senator Danforth are children ofDonald Danforth for whom the DanforthCenter is named.
(left to right) Abby Castle and Jeff Miller, Jr.,Dotty and Jeff Miller, Julie Miller Stewart andJack Lampen
Carolyn Danforth and Mel Bahle
(left to right) Jeff and DottyMiller, Claude Fauquet,WilliamDanforth and Ernest Jaworski
Jeff Miller and John Danforth
A view of the terrace during the ceremony
I t ’s About People ,Not About Sc ience
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When Dr. Florence Wambugu says, “It’s about people, not about science,” she istalking about biotechnology—specifically about her work in applying the tools ofbiotechnology to address the concerns of African farmers. Dr. Wambugu is thefounder and executive director of A Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International(AHBFI), a non-profit organization whose mission is to fight hunger, malnutrition,and poverty in Africa. AHBFI meets this challenge by focusing on what farmerswant and finding innovative, yet practical ways to meet their needs.
Dr. Wambugu spoke in the Danforth Center’s Southwestern Bell Auditorium on August 5, 2002 and described her success in improving the harvest of such crops as sugarcane, bananas, sweet potatoes, and cotton in African countries. “Theway forward,” she stressed, “is through local knowledge and expertise and by strengthening local institutions.”
Her organization respects and utilizes thecommunity-mindedness of many Africangroups. “In Kenya,” Dr. Wambuguexplains, “farmers are their own exten-sion service. People depend on and helpeach other.” By involving people andcommunities in setting the goals ofresearch and development, her organi-zation has been very effective in makinga positive impact.
Dr. Wambugu is also the author of Modifying Africa, and more information abouther book can be found at www.modifyingafrica.com. The web site of AHBFI is www.ahbfi.org.
In Africa, the populationhas been increasing at arate of 3.5% per year, butfood production has beenincreasing by only 2.5%.
On average, in Africa people spend 65-80% oftheir income on food; indeveloped nations peoplespend less than 10% oftheir income on food.
Discoverer of Oral Pol io Vacc ine Vis i ts Center
According to Dr. Hilary Koprowski,plants may become a source for produc-ing immunotherapeutics to treat infectious diseases such as HIV-AIDS,rabies, and hepatitis B. In a seminarpresented at the Danforth Center onSeptember 6, 2002, Dr. Koprowski,Professor of Microbiology andImmunology at the Center forNeurovirology at Thomas JeffersonUniversity and president of theBiotechnology Foundation Laboratories,spoke of his recent research investigat-ing the production of vaccines in plants.Such work can lead to safe, inexpensiveoral vaccines, which are the key to controlling infectious diseases worldwide.
Dr. Koprowski has a lifetime of experience in this field. He developed thefirst oral (as opposed to injectable) vaccine against polio, which made itpossible for large-scale vaccination around the world. Dr. Koprowski firstbegan his work on polio in 1947 and can look with pride on the fact thatas a result of his pioneering research, polio has been nearly eradicated.
Yet, the world faces other epidemic diseases and the problem of findingmethods of combating them remains especially acute in developing countries. “Efforts to vaccinate against any disease are doomed to fail,”Dr. Koprowski said, “without a readily available vaccine that can be takenorally.” Research on plant-based vaccines offers the possibility for effectiveproduction of such a vaccine.
Dr. Koprowski collaborates with Dr. Terry Woodford-Thomas of theDanforth Center. Dr. Woodford-Thomas investigates the plant-basedproduction of an antibody against the rabies virus that was originallydeveloped in Dr. Koprowski’s laboratory.
(left to right) Dr.Terry Woodford-Thomas, Dr. HilaryKoprowski and Dr. Roger Beachy
Dr.Wambugu (third from left) inspects a field ofsweet potatoes in Kenya.
Dr. Florence Wambugu
b i o b e l t
T h e L e a f l e t4
Part of our founders’ vision was that the Donald Danforth Plant Science Centerwould serve as the cornerstone for the St. Louis region to grow into a thrivingcommercial center for the plant and life sciences. Strong evidence that this visionis well on its way to being realized can be found just across the street from theDanforth Center at the Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, a business incuba-tor where the laboratories and offices of a startup company named Divergence are located.
Divergence is dedicated to the discovery of highly effective and ecologically soundstrategies for parasite pest control, focusing initially on the control of parasiticnematodes. Nematodes are one of the major agricultural pests in the world, causing significant damage to dozens of major crops. Nematodes are also majorparasites of humans, companion animals, and livestock. Current nematicides areenvironmentally dangerous, expensive, and difficult to use.
The team at Divergence is led by chief executiveofficer, Derek Rapp, a former Monsanto executive,and president and chief scientific officer, Dr. JimMcCarter, an expert in the application of genomicsto parasitic disease. Derek and his wife Emily are Charter Members of the Danforth Center’sFriends Program, and Derek graciously volunteershis time as a member of the Danforth Center’sFriends Committee.
The company was founded in 1999 by Dr. McCarter,currently an adjunct faculty member of Washington
University, while a post-doctoral fellow at the Washington University GenomeSequencing Center.
More information about nematodes and their impact on crops can be found onpage 6, which describes the research of Dr. Christopher Taylor at the DanforthCenter. The intersection of Dr. Taylor’s research with the goals of companies
such as Divergence is a prime exampleof the kind of synergy that the BioBelt initiative hopes to foster.
Star t-Up Company Prof i le
What’s Happening in the BioBelt?
Divergence: The Nematode Genomics Company
“Divergence hasbenefited
in a myriad ofways from thestrong life sci-
ences base thatexists in the
St. Louis region.Without the
many resources that exist locally,
Divergencewould have amuch more
difficult path to success.”
Derek Rapp
Derek Rapp
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n e w s b r i e f sNews Briefs
Dr. Eliot Herman, principal investiga-tor at the Danforth Center and U.S. Department of Agriculture,Agricultural Research Service scientist,was featured in the September issue ofAgricultural Research magazine, themonthly research publication of theUSDA. The article described researchby Dr. Herman and his collaboratorswhich has resulted in hypoallergenicsoybeans, a breakthrough that couldmake a great difference to children andadults who suffer from food allergies.
Soybeans, milk, eggs, peanuts, treenuts, fish, wheat, and shellfish causeover 90 % of food allergic reactions,and soy protein is found in so manyprocessed foods that it is difficult to avoid. Most allergic reactions to soybeans are caused by a single proteinthat scientists have named P34. Dr. Herman and Dr. Rick Helm have
found a way to turn off the gene thatmakes P34 in soybean plants so thatthese plants lack the allergenic protein.Their success story has been picked upby the BBC and Reuters and featured inthe Des Moines Register, the TorontoGlobe and Mail, and the New Scientist.
Dr. Claude Fauquet, principal investigator at the Danforth Centerand director of the Center’sInternational Laboratory for TropicalAgricultural Biotechnology (ILTAB),has been elected as a fellow of theAcademy of Sciences of St. Louis.The Academy has a venerable history,being the oldest science academywest of the Mississippi. It works to promote scientific literacy and educational initiatives such as theJunior Academy of Science and theGreater St. Louis Science Fair.
In early October of this year, Dr. Claude Fauquet and Lawrence Kent,International Programs Manager at the Danforth Center, helped to organize aninternational strategic meeting in Italy to advance the Global CassavaImprovement Plan (GCIP). The meeting was attended by scientists and policymakers from around the world representing over twenty countries and severalinternational organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization, theInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the International Center forTropical Agriculture, the UnitedNations, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. TheRockefeller Foundation provided fund-ing for the meeting.
The GCIP aims to create a worldwideinitiative for applying biotechnologiesto the improvement of cassava, a staplefood for about 600 million people.Participation in the GCIP reflects theDanforth Center’s commitment toresearch to benefit developing countries.
“This is probably thefirst time amajor humanallergen hasbeen knockedout of a foodcrop usingbiotechnology.”Eliot Herman
Dr. Eliot Herman (left), Gael Cockrell (center),and Dr. Rick Helm (both with the University ofArkansas) examine the results of an allergy teston the skin of a soybean-sensitive pig.
The Danforth Center welcomed two principal investigators to its researchstaff this past month. Dr. Joseph Jez, from Kosan Biosciences Inc. and formerly a post-doctoral research fellow at the Salk Institute for BiologicalStudies, will be investigating plant defense mechanisms, plant growth anddevelopment, and the symbiosis of plants with soil organisms. Dr. LimingXiong, from the University of Arizona, will be studying how plants reactto stress conditions such as low temperature, drought, high salt, lack of nutrients, and acidity. With the addition of Dr. Jez and Dr. Xiong, atotal of fourteen principal investigators head research projects at theDanforth Center.
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f o c u s
Chris Taylor’s interest in rootsreaches back to days growing upon a farm in Pennsylvania: whenrootworms attacked the sweetcorn, the plants would topple overand the ears would have to bepicked by hand from off theground. There’s nothing like a littlemanual labor to get a young man tolook for better solutions, and inChris’s case, he looked to the rootwhere the source of the corn’sweakness lay.
In graduate school, investigating mechanisms of gene expression in roots, Chris found a particular gene that was induced by nematode attack. And here, his interests in roots and pests came together. “Nematodes are an up and coming pest,” Chris says,“Those nematode deterrents that are available are being rapidly removed from the market due to animal and bird toxicity, groundwater contamination, and ozone depletion, so the need and the opportunity to make a difference are definitely there.”
Besides that, nematodes are scientifically intriguing. A plant-parasitic nematode will enter a root and remake the nearby plant cellsso that they funnel nutrients from the rest of the plant right to the nematode. “I want to find out how nematodes are feeding andtarget that mechanism to develop plants that will prevent nematode attack,” Chris says.
But, Chris is also thinking about the bigger picture:“There are many complex relationships in the rhizosphere. [The rhizosphere is thesystem created by the interaction between the root and the soil and soil organisms.] To facilitate research in this area, I’ve initiateda rhizosphere research group, a group of root experts who can share their knowledge about this complex system.”
Chr istopher Tay lor, Ph.D.
Focus on Research
substances roots produce to controlnematode hatching, behavior, growth,and development. This research willlead to the development of plants thathave enhanced internal mechanismsfor keeping nematodes at bay.
Chris Taylorp r o f i l e
Under the surface of the soil, an intricate network of living things exists.The roots of plants participate in thisunderground community, cooperatingwith some organisms and fighting offothers. Dr. Christopher Taylor studiesthe biology of plant roots, specificallyinvestigating the strategies plants have developed to fend off soil organisms that feed on roots. At theDanforth Center, Dr. Taylor and hisresearch group focus on plant responses to plant-parasitic nematodes.His work addresses a critical agriculturalproblem, because worldwide, nematodesaccount for about $77 billion in annualcrop losses.
Nematodes are tiny roundworms and,in fact, are incredibly abundant forms oflife. Scientists have discovered about20,000 different species of nematodesbut estimate that there may be 40,000or even up to 10 million species. Andsince there may be millions of individualnematodes per square yard of soil, it isnot surprising to find that plants possessmechanisms for controlling them.
Dr. Taylor works to characterize howplants have adapted their biology torespond to parasitic nematodes. Hisgroup studies changes in the movementof materials in roots under attack bynematodes and works to identify the
A nematode at high magnification.
The patch of sparse vegetation in this fielddemonstrates the damage that can be inflicted by nematodes.
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The Human Genome Project has made it clear that we canderive tremendous benefit from knowing the linearsequence of an organism’s whole set of genes. Similarsequencing projects are proceeding for many other organ-isms, ranging from bacteria to fruit flies to plants, andresearchers studying important agricultural plants need toobtain this type of genetic data as well. Corn is especiallychallenging for researchers because it has 20 times moreinformation in its genome than does Arabidopsis, the plant many researchers use as a model for investigatingplant biology.
A newly funded project, led by the Danforth Center, willpave the way for sequencing all of the genes of corn, (alsocalled maize). The project establishes a collaboration, called the Maize Genomics Consortium (MGC), betweenresearchers at the Danforth Center, Purdue University, The Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Maryland,and Orion Genomics in St. Louis. Funded by a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the MCGwill test new methods for efficient sequencing of the complex set of corn genes and will place the resulting data intopublicly accessible databases. The project is coordinated by Dr. Karel Schubert, Danforth Center Vice President forTechnology Management and Science Administration. Researchers can access information from the MCG on aweb site hosted by the Danforth Center: http://maize.danforthcenter.org.
r e s e a r c h n e w sGrow a Better Tomato…
From Purdue University
The Danforth Center Alliance was created to further scientific research and facilitate collaboration leading to new research opportunities thatenrich the environment at each member institution in the areas of plant science, life science, and agriculture. Members of the alliance includethe Missouri Botanical Garden, Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and
Washington University in St. Louis.
Danforth Center Alliance: Research News
Advancing Corn Genet ics
Few foods are more welcomed than thefirst fresh, hand-picked tomatoes ofsummer. These bright red, juicy fruitsare consumer favorites whose popularityhas grown in the past twenty years—somuch so, that the average Americaneats about 90 pounds of tomatoes or tomato products each year. Andthat’s good for more reasons than one:in addition to their good taste, tomatoes are an important source of phytonutrients.
Now researchers at Purdue Universityin collaboration with the U.S.Department of Agriculture have devel-oped a better tomato, one that containstwo to three times more of a natural
antioxidant called lycopenethan regular tomatoes do.These scientists have beenable to increase the produc-tion of lycopene throughtransgenic technology thatenhanced the biologicalprocesses responsible forlycopene production. In addi-tion, the transgenic tomatoeshave a prolonged vine life and enhanced juice quality.Lycopene is a natural antioxi-dant that is twice as effectiveas beta-carotene and is able to mitigate breast and prostate cancer and coronary heart disease.
A screenshot of the MGC web site.
T h e L e a f l e t8
Newsletter Staff
Managing Editor:Gwen Ericson, Ph.D.
Coordinator of Education and Outreach/Science Writer
Editors:Jeannette R. Huey
Vice President for [email protected]
Derek J. MontgomeryDirector of Government
Relations and Public [email protected]
Contributors:Gwen Ericson
Jeannette HueyDerek Montgomery
Elizabeth Vancil
Phone: 314.587.1000www.danforthcenter.org
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
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Mediaf e a t u r e
Donald Danforth Plant Science Centerresearcher Justin Pita stands amid agreenhouse full of healthy cassava inthe cover photo of the July 29, 2002edition of Chemical & Engineering News.The issue features a six-page, 3,000word feature story describing theDanforth Center’s mission, research initiatives, and novel intellectual property policies. Chemical & EngineeringNews is the official weekly news publication of the Washington, D.C.based American Chemical Society and,in addition to the on-line version, is circulated to nearly 200,000 public-
sector, private-sector and academic scientists each week. The story can beviewed at http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/8030/8030danforth.html.
