|
|
Biography |
|
|
Expertise
• Plant Biotechnology (Inventor of Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation technology)
• Molecular Microbiology
• Cell Biology
Current Affiliation
• Emeritus Professor – Ghent University
• Founder and Chairman of the Board – International Plant Biotechnology Outreach (IPBO), Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Belgium
• President of the Public Research and Regulation Initiave (PRRI), Belgium
Biography
Em. Prof. Marc Van Montagu is a pioneer in plant molecular biology. He is well known (with J. Schell) as the discoverer of the Ti-plasmid and the inventor of Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation technology, now used worldwide to produce genetically engineered plants. In addition to groundbreaking contributions to unravel the natural mechanism of gene transfer in A. tumefaciens, the laboratory of Marc Van Montagu has applied gene transfer technology to study gene regulation and to discover the molecular basis of several plant physiological processes. He has given pioneering contributions on plant gene discovery and regulation, plant molecular mechanisms of response to abiotic stresses, and plant development.
Dr. Marc Van Montagu has been Founding Member and Member of the Board of Directors of two Belgian biotech companies, spin-offs from his laboratory, Plant Genetic System (PGS) and CropDesign. At PGS he has driven front-line innovations for biotech agriculture, such as plants resistant to insects or tolerant to more environmentally friendly herbicides.
Dr. Marc Van Montagu has received numerous prestigious awards and honours, in particular the Japan Prize for Biotechnology and Agriculture Sciences in 1998, and the World Food Prize in 2013. He is member of 11 academies of sciences/agriculture worldwide and recipient of 8 honorary doctorate degrees. Marc Van Montagu was the President of the European Federation of Biotechnologists from 2005-2013, and was appointed UNIDO Goodwill Ambassador for the development of agribusiness in low-income countries in 2014. He has produced over 1100 scientific publications that have received more than 85.000 citations. Due to his accomplishments, he received in 1990 the title of Baron from the King of Belgians.
Marc Van Montagu holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry/ Biochemistry and a BA in Chemistry from Ghent University.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Abstract |
|
|
|
|
Plant Biotechnology 2018: Both Knowledge and Wisdom are Imperatives |
|
|
|
|
|
Plant Biotechnology 2018: Both Knowledge and Wisdom are Imperatives
“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.” – Louis Pasteur
The Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) have the ambitious challenge of empowering all of us to achieve healthy and stable economies, fair and well-governed societies, respect for human rights, respect for the environment, and consequently world peace. Such holistic and integrated approach needs to mobilize science at multiple levels and across disciplines to create and gather the scientific knowledge that will be translated into meaningful practices, innovations and technologies needed to address global challenges today and in the future.
The spectacular progress of life-sciences in recent years shows that biology is in accelerating the pace to bring solutions to many of the major challenges confronting the world such as sustainable food production, ecosystem restoration, and improvement in human health. Agricultural sciences will be crucial for it feeds all SDGs. The specific case of biotechnology for agriculture has shown that GM technology can bring important positive socio-economic and environmental contributions. Indeed, GM-technology has improved productivity and profitability for farmers and reduced the use of pesticides, precipitating one of the most spectacular changes in making agriculture more sustainable. But the innovations on the market today is a faint picture of the technology’s potential. Very few GM-traits pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, and hybrid vigour) have been introduced in a limited range of crops (soybean, corn, cotton and canola). Multinational companies commercialize most of the current GM crops. Regulatory constraints have discouraged public research entities and small and medium size seed companies from using biotechnology. Nevertheless, Public Sector research institutions in low-income countries and in emerging economies are making enormous efforts in developing GM-crops adapted to their agricultural systems. R&D programs are flourishing and wide variety of crops are currently being tested for more sustainable production, improved nutrition as well as industrial traits. But the timeframe for market release of these next biotech crops will not only depend on progress in R&D, but also on public acceptability of the technology, and it is far from being reached. Anti-GM activists have spread fake news to manipulated people’s “gut-feeling” rejection to the “unnatural” to and forge biosafety concerns as a proxy to issues such as corporate monopoly of global food system, globalization of the market, and trade dispute between European Union and United States.
It’s time to move the argument to a new plane. We must find a way of reconnecting the public with science. We should start by rebuilding appreciation of science, creating awareness on the value of knowledge as an evolving process continuously controlled by science-based evidence. Society must be convinced that science has a crucial role for the SDGs. We have to work together towards a better common future. The SDGs will not leave no one behind. We need to embrace changes based on the values we share. To deny the benefits of modern technology to least developed countries, where more than half of the coming population increase will occur, is immoral and should be openly confronted. |
|
|
|
|