Steven D. Tanksley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steven Tanksley
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Tanksley in 2011
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Steven Dale Tanksley
April 7, 1954 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Colorado State University (BA) University of California, Davis (PhD) |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Plant Breeding Genetics |
| Institutions | Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences |
| Thesis | Inheritance, developmental expression, and polymorphism of three glycolytic enzymes in species of Lycopersicon (1979) |
| Doctoral students | Susan McCouch |
Steven Dale Tanksley is an American scientist born on April 7, 1954. He is a very important expert in how plants grow and how they pass on their traits. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Nature Source Improved Plants.
Before this, Dr. Tanksley was a special professor at Cornell University. He taught about how to breed plants and how to study living things using math. He also led a big project at Cornell to study the genes of living things. Today, he is a Professor Emeritus at Cornell University, which means he is a retired professor who is still highly respected.
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Learning and Degrees
Steven Tanksley went to Colorado State University. In 1976, he earned a first degree in agronomy. Agronomy is the study of soil and how to grow crops.
Then, in 1979, he earned a higher degree called a doctorate. He got this degree from the University of California, Davis. His studies focused on genetics, which is the science of how living things inherit traits from their parents.
Career and Plant Research
Dr. Tanksley started working at Cornell University in 1985. He became a professor who specialized in plant breeding. By 1994, he was a full professor.
Mapping Plant DNA
He led important work to create the first "molecular maps" for tomatoes and rice. Think of these maps like a detailed guide to the DNA inside these plants. These maps help scientists understand where specific genes are located.
In 1993, Dr. Tanksley's team at Cornell made a big discovery. They found and copied a special gene from tomato plants. This gene helps the plants fight off diseases. This was a huge step because it was the first time scientists successfully copied a disease-fighting gene from a major crop plant using DNA maps.
Improving Crops
A lot of Dr. Tanksley's work focused on finding useful genes in wild plants. These genes could then be used to make farm crops better. For example, he studied genes that affect the size and shape of tomatoes.
He helped develop a method called Marker-assisted selection (MAS). This method uses special markers to help plant breeders choose the best plants. It makes it easier to add new, helpful genes from wild plants into crops we grow for food. His team also used genetic markers to compare the DNA of different plants, especially those in the Solanaceae family, which includes tomatoes and potatoes.
Dr. Tanksley has written over 200 scientific papers. He has also guided many students, including Susan McCouch, who became a famous scientist herself.
Nature Source Improved Plants
In 2006, Dr. Tanksley helped start a company called Nature Source Genetics. This company, based in New York, worked on creating new computer programs. These programs help scientists use the natural variety in plant genes to make crops better.
Later, in 2016, Nature Source Genetics joined with another company from Mexico. They formed a new company called Nature Source Improved Plants, LLC. This company works on improving plants through genetics. They also help grow and sell high-quality plant materials. The company has offices in New York and Mexico.
Awards and Special Honors
Dr. Tanksley has received many important awards for his work.
- In 1995, he was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Sciences. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United States.
- He also received the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Award.
- He won the Martin Gibbs Medal from the American Society of Plant Biologists.
- In 2004, he received the Wolf Prize in Agriculture. This is a major international award.
- In 2005, he won the Kumho International Science Award for his work in molecular genetics.
- In 2016, he was awarded the Japan Prize. This is another very important international science award.
- In 2009, he was made a Foreign Member of the Royal Society of London. This is a very old and respected scientific group in the United Kingdom.
