Van Montagu is known for his discovery of the gene transfer mechanism (together with his colleague Prof. Jozef Schell) between Agrobacterium tumefaciens and plants, and for the development of methods to alter Agrobacterium into an efficient delivery system for plant genetic engineering . This mechanism is now used worldwide for producing genetically engineered crops.

He is also one of the pioneers of the construction of the first plants producing the Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) insecticide, and the construction of the first herbicide tolerant plants. He developed plant molecular genetics, in particular molecular mechanisms for cell proliferation and differentiation and response to abiotic stresses (high light, ozone, cold, salt and drought); his work with poplar trees resulted in engineering of trees with improved pulping qualities. He is also responsible for the education of more than 100 PhD students, several of them now in leading positions in plant biotechnology all over the world.

He was full-professor and director of the Laboratory of Genetics at the Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, and scientific director of the Genetics Department of the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). He was part-time professor at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) for the courses cell biology, nucleic acid chemistry, and virology. He was Scientific Director and member of the board of Directors of Plant Genetic Systems Inc. (Belgium).

He has received numerous outstanding awards for his pioneering work, such as the 1987 Rank Prize for Nutrition (UK), 1988 IBM Europe Science and Technology Prize (France), 1990 Prix Charles Leopold Mayer of the Academies de Sciences (Academy of Sciences France), 1990 Dr. A. de Leeuw-Damry-Bourlart Prize (five yearly Prize of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research), the prestigious 1998 Japan Prize for Biotechnology in Agriculture Sciences (Japan) and the 1999 Theodor Bücher Medal (FEBS). He has been a foreign associate of the Agricultural Academy of Russia and France, as well as the National Academy of Science (USA) since 1986 . He holds 6 Doctor Honoris Causa degrees. In 1990. he was granted the title of "Baron" by Baudouin I, King of Belgium.

He has produced more than 1000 publications in international and national journals and books.

Dr. Van Montagu is also a patron of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).

“Fighting the vicious circle of hunger and poverty is the most urgent task that faces our society, and will require a reformulation of current models of agriculture. For the relief of poverty, it is essential that a sustainable agriculture model for developing countries is developed. Agricultural biotechnology is expected to lead to crop varieties that fit ecological niches without costly or polluting inputs, and to help produce crop varieties tailored to the nutritional needs of the population. People in developing countries need food with an enhanced nutritional value to sustain a healthy life”.

-Professor Marc Van Montagu