Dennis Gonsalves
| Dr Dennis Gonsalves | |
|---|---|
| Education | Ph.D. in plant pathology [1] |
| Alma mater |
University of Hawaii University of California, Davis |
| Known for | Research on mechanisms of virus infection and strategies for developing plants resistant to them |
| Influences | Dr. Eduardo Trujillo |
| Notable awards |
Humboldt Prize Agriculture Research Service Science Hall of Fame Presidential Distinguished Rank Award |
Dennis Gonsalves (* 1943) is an American phytopathologist. He has created with his team a virus-resistant Papaya's called SunUp and Rainbow[2], this was to rescue the Papaya growing industry in Hawaii from the devastating effects of the papaya ringspot virus that hit in the late 1990s.[3][4]
Life
Gonsalves grew up on a sugar plantation in Kohala, Hawaii.[2] He studied horticulture ( BS, 1965) and phytopathology at the University of Hawaii. His doctorate was in 1968 at the University of California, Davis. From 1972 to 1977 he worked at the University of Florida and from 1977 to 2002 at Cornell University, where he became a professor in 1995. Since 2002 he was the director of a USDA research center in Hilo and is now retired.[3]
Work
Gonsalves researched plant viruses. His work on virus-resistant plants, in particular the creation of a Papaya with resistance to the Papaya Ringspot virus, is recognized worldwide and has received several awards.
His Rainbow papaya makes up about 77 percent of the Hawaii's crop[3], funded by USAID, he helped develop locally adapted papaya varieties for Venezuela, Jamaica, Brazil, Africa, and Bangladesh[1].
Awards
- 2002: Humboldt Prize
- 2007: Agriculture Research Service Science Hall of Fame [1]
- 2009: Presidential Distinguished Rank Award
- Lee Hutchison Award for accomplishments in research, mentoring, and outreach to developing countries
- fellow of the American Phytopathological Society
Example Patents
- December 7, 1999 Potyvirus coat protein genes and plants transformed therewith
- June 30, 2009 Papaya ringspot virus genes
- May 19, 2009 Synthetic nucleic acid molecule for imparting multiple traits
- May 1, 2007 Grapevine fanleaf virus resistance in grapevine
- August 1, 2006 Isolated nucleic acid molecules relating to papaya fruit ripening
External links
References
- 1 2 3 Cheung, Debra. "2007 Award of Distinction Recipients — UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences". www.caes.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
- 1 2 "The man behind the Rainbow - Biology Fortified, Inc.". Biology Fortified, Inc. 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
- 1 2 3 "Papaya: A GMO success story". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
- ↑ "Is Genetic Engineering Always a Bad Thing? ~ Jennifer Mo". Elephant Journal. Retrieved 2017-08-07.