Rachel Chan (biologist) facts for kids

Raquel Chan is an important Argentine biochemist. She comes from the Santa Fe Province in Argentina. She has done a lot of work on how plants use sunlight to make food (called photosynthesis). She also helped create seeds that can grow well even when there isn't much water. She leads the Agrobiotechnology Institute of Santa Fe (IAL). The BBC once named her one of the top ten women scientists in Latin America.

Her Education

Raquel Chan studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. Later, she earned her Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry in 1988. She received this advanced degree from the National University of Rosario in Argentina.

HB4 Technology: Helping Plants Grow

In 2003, Raquel Chan and Daniel González worked together on a big project. They teamed up with a company called Bioceres, the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), and the National University of the Littoral (UNL). Their team discovered something amazing about a sunflower gene called hahb-4. This gene helps plants handle drought, which is when there is not enough water.

This discovery allowed Bioceres to create a special project. They wanted to use the hahb-4 gene to make new kinds of plants. They first tested it on a small plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. The goal was to find the best way to use this gene in important farm crops later on.

As they worked, they found a way to make the hahb-4 gene even better. This improved version helps plants adapt more easily to dry conditions. It means the plants can produce more grain, even when there is little rain. HB4® is now the only technology in the world that makes wheat and soybean crops tolerant to drought.

Her Career and Discoveries

Raquel Chan works at several important places. She holds positions at the National University of Litoral and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). She also works at the Agrobiotechnology Institute of Santa Fe (IAL). The IAL is a place where scientists study biotechnology and plant molecular biology.

Chan's main research focuses on photosynthesis. This is the process plants use to turn sunlight into energy. After returning to Argentina in 1992, she started a project. She wanted to understand how different environmental conditions affect plants. Her team of scientists worked hard and created seeds that are more resistant to drought.

Raquel Chan once said about her work: "Creating seeds that are more resistant to drought was a very long journey of basic research. Many different research groups helped over time. Then one day, it was like 'Eureka!' It was like when Newton discovered gravity because an apple fell."

People who support this new technology say it could greatly increase how much food farmers can grow. This could mean billions of dollars in extra earnings each year. This is especially important after a recent severe drought in Argentina. That drought caused a huge drop in how much soy was produced.

Chan continues to support new ideas in farming in South America. As recently as 2018, she helped make drought-resistant soybean seeds available for farmers to buy.

She has received important awards for her work in Biotechnology. She was given the Konex Award Merit Diploma in 2013. In 2023, she received the Platinum Konex Award.

Patents

Raquel Chan holds two patents. A patent is a special right given to an inventor. It means others cannot make, use, or sell their invention without permission. Both of her patents are about photosynthetic processes. These processes help create crops that can resist drought.

See also

In Spanish: Raquel Chan para niños