ISAAA BOD Member Receives Prestigious E.C. Stakman Award

ISAAA's Board of Directors member, Prof. Jonathan Jones of The Sainsbury Laboratory on the Norwich Research Park in the United Kingdom is the recipient of the 2012 E.C. Stakman Award by the University of Minnesota, for his outstanding achievements in plant pathology.

Professor Jones and his group were among the first to isolate and characterize a plant disease resistance gene. His discovery that an R gene codes for a receptor-like protein was a validation of the concept of gene-for-gene and elicitor-receptor interactions that originated from the work of E.C. Stakman, Harold Flor, and other pioneers of plant pathology.

A strong advocate of using transgenic approaches to control plant diseases, his research have been applied to solve serious disease problems in Agriculture. A field trial of late blight-resistant potatoes is testament to this practical approach and his efforts to engage with the public, media, farmers and NGOs during this trial have typified his open approach to talking about GM and plant biotechnology.

Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization since 1998, and Fellow of the Royal Society since 2003, Professor Jones is one of the most highly cited plant and animal scientists in the world.

For more information about Professor Jones, visit The Sainsbury Laboratory: http://www.tsl.ac.uk/profile/jonathan-jones.asp. The news release is available at http://www.tsl.ac.uk/jjpressrelease.html