麻豆传媒

Toni Kutchan serves a vice president for research and is the Oliver M. Langenberg Distinguished Investigator at the Danforth Center where she is investigating two aspects of natural products that are found in plants; how plants produce medicinal natural products at the enzyme and gene level, which could lead to new sources of medications for use against conditions such as dementia and cancer; and the use of plant natural products as components of biofuels. She is a leading expert in the molecules derived from the opium poppy, including the lifesaving opioid antidote medications. “Production of these drugs creates an industrial waste stream. It’s not good for the people working in the lab, and it creates a nasty waste pond. We have recently discovered a microorganism that can manufacture opiates in a cleaner, more sustainable way. Now we’re looking for industrial partners who can help us transform this lab work into an industry process.” As a recipient of federal research grants, the Danforth Center is prohibited from working on medical cannabis. However, Missouri recently legalized the production of industrial hemp, a crop which was king in Missouri in the late 1800s and which produces high-quality fiber useful in many products, such as textiles, rope, paper, and cosmetics. The Danforth Center and the Kutchan Lab are already forming partnerships. “With the cutting-edge technology and infrastructure at the Danforth Center, we can accelerate the breeding and help reestablish this useful cash crop in the state of Missouri. Hemp has been illegal for 100 years. We are now attempting to go from zero to introducing a modern crop.” Prior to joining the Center in 2006, she spent 20 years researching biochemistry at the University of Munich and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biology. In recognition of her scientific achievements, Toni was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2017 and the prestigious German Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina) in 2010. She received her doctorate in biochemistry from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Toni credits training the next generation of scientists as a very rewarding part of her work at the Danforth Center and adds: “Training the up-and-coming generations is so important, making sure they have broad interests and perspective. Together, we can make the world a better place, safer, more sustainable. By unlocking the secrets of plants, we will make peoples’ lives better—and that’s a good feeling.”

Kirk is an internationally renowned expert in bioimaging with 30 years’ experience and over 100 publications. He is proud of his role in discovering a new imaging approach to follow subcellular calcium signaling in filamentous fungi—a world first. His research today focuses on small microbes that cause disease in both humans and plants. And he is dedicated to his role at the Danforth Center, partnering with numerous colleagues to help advance their research as well. In 2019, Kirk joined the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center as a principal investigator and director of the Advanced Bioimaging Laboratory Facility, to leverage advanced microscopy tools in plant science dedicated to producing more nutritious food and improving the environment. With over 30 years of advanced microscopy experience, Dr. Czymmek has expertise in most forms of light, X-ray, and electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, single-molecule imaging, superresolution microscopy, cryotechniques, and correlative microscopy. His work on developing and applying cutting-edge microscopy tools for imaging cells, tissues, and biomaterials has generated over 95 refereed publications. Prior to joining the Danforth Center, Kirk served as Vice President of Global ZEISS Microscopy Customer Centers and oversight of eight customer centers and their teams worldwide. He joined the company in 2012 to build a world-class application, demonstration, and training center for the ZEISS microscopy portfolio for North America. From 2000 to 2012 he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware (UD) where he worked to build an imaging capacity that led in 2001 to the creation of the UD Bio-Imaging Center at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, where he served as Director. Kirk received his doctorate in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Michigan State University in 1993 followed by a post-doctoral position at the DuPont Company in CR&D Plant Molecular Genetics group. Subsequently, he worked with Noran Instruments in the confocal business group as an applications scientist before joining the University of Delaware. He has received many awards and honors for his achievements in the field.

The Topp laboratory deploys X-ray-based imaging and analysis of corn and other root systems to develop more robust and sustainable crops. While at the University of Georgia pursuing a genetics degree, Chris began studying plant pathogens. Interested in cutting-edge and emerging technologies, he worked as a research tech in an NSF-funded plant science lab to develop artificial chromosomes, an example of early synthetic biology. In grad school, he focused on maize, realizing that this crop could have the biggest impact: “In the U.S., there are about 90 million acres of corn planted each year. At an average density of 30,000 plants per acre, that’s 2.7 trillion corn plants. It’s been said there are more corn seeds are planted each year than stars in the Milky Way.” After launching his professional career at Duke University, Chris is today a principal investigator at the Danforth Center working to unlock the secrets of the hidden half of plants. When Chris learned about specialized 3D X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) systems for very large objects used in the aerospace industry, he saw a new potential application. In 2016, a partnership with Valent BioSciences, along with funding from the National Science Foundation, brought one of these 8-ton machines to the Danforth Center. The success of this instrument soon led to a smaller, but more powerful X-ray microscope to look at root-microbial interactions. Now the Topp lab can see the 3D subterranean world of roots nondestructively, at least for plants growing in large containers. The Topp lab’s X-ray CT and microscope facility for plant science at the Danforth Center is unique in the world.