Rachel Chan (biologist) facts for kids

Raquel Chan is an amazing Argentine scientist. She is a biochemist, which means she studies the chemistry of living things. Raquel is from the Santa Fe Province in Argentina. Her main work has been about how plants make their own food, a process called photosynthesis. She has also created special seeds that can grow even when there isn't much water.

Raquel Chan is the Director of the Agrobiotechnology Institute of Santa Fe (IAL). The BBC once named her one of the top ten women scientists in Latin America.

Raquel Chan's Education

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

How HB4 Technology Helps Plants

In 2003, Raquel Chan and Daniel González led a team that made a big discovery. They worked with a company called Bioceres and other research groups. They found a special gene from sunflowers, called hahb-4. This gene helps plants handle dry conditions better.

Developing Drought-Resistant Plants

This discovery allowed scientists to create new plants using the hahb-4 gene. They tested it on a small plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. The goal was to find the best way to use this gene in important crops.

The Power of HB4 Gene

During their work, they found an even better version of the hahb-4 gene. This improved gene helps plants adapt to dry weather. It allows them to produce more grain, even when there isn't enough rain. Today, HB4® is the only technology of its kind that makes wheat and soybean crops tolerant to drought.

Raquel Chan's Career and Discoveries

Raquel Chan works at several important places. She is at the National University of Litoral and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). She also leads the Agrobiotechnology Institute of Santa Fe (IAL). At IAL, scientists study biotechnology and how plant genes work.

Understanding Plant Growth

Raquel's research mainly focuses on photosynthesis, which is how plants use sunlight to make food. When she returned to Argentina in 1992, she started a project. She wanted to understand how different weather conditions affect plants. Her team of scientists worked hard to create seeds that could resist drought.

A Big Scientific Breakthrough

Raquel once said that creating drought-resistant seeds was a very long process. It involved many research groups over time. She described the moment of discovery as a "Eureka!" moment, like when Isaac Newton discovered gravity.

Impact on Farming

People who support this technology say it can greatly increase how much food farmers can grow. This could mean billions of dollars in extra profits each year. For example, a recent severe drought in Argentina cut down soybean production a lot. This new technology could help prevent such losses.

Raquel Chan continues to support new ideas in farming in South America. She helped make drought-resistant soybean seeds available to farmers as recently as 2018.

Awards and Recognition

For her important work in Biotechnology, Raquel Chan has received special awards. She was given the Konex Award Merit Diploma in 2013. In 2023, she received the Platinum Konex Award, which is a very high honor.

Patents for Drought-Resistant Crops

Raquel Chan holds two patents. Patents protect her inventions, meaning others cannot use them without permission. Both of her patents are about the processes that help create crops that can resist drought.

See also

In Spanish: Raquel Chan para niños