Ingo Potrykus
Professor Emeritus, Institute of Plant Sciences of the ETH Zurich
Ingo Potrykus obtained his PhD in Plant Genetics in 1968 from the Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany. From 1970 to 1974, he was Assistant Professor at the Institute of Plant Physiology, Stuttgart-Hohenheim. He was the Research Group Leader at Max-Planck-Institute for Genetics, Ladenburg-Heidelberg from 1974 to 1976. He was the Research Group Leader at the Friedrich Miescher-Institute, Basel, Switzerland, from 1976 to 1986. He was Full Professor in Plant Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zuerich, from 1986 to 1999. His work included contributions to food security in developing countries, focusing on development and application of genetic engineering technology for and to "food security" crops; such as rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and cassava (Manihot esculenta). In addition, he focuses on problem areas of disease and pest resistance, improved food quality, improved yield, improved exploitation of natural resources, and improved bio-safety. He is the inventor of "Golden Rice" and Chairman of the Humanitarian Golden Rice Board and Network. He has around 340 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and 30 patents. He received several awards and distinctions among which are KUMHO (ISPMB) Science International Award in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in 2000, the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB); Leadership in Science Public Service Award in 2001, Crop Science of America (CSSA); Klepper Endowment Lectureship in 2001; and the CSSA President’s Award in 2002. He obtained an Honorary Doctor from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in 2002, and the University of Freiburg, Germany 2007. He was listed among the “Top100 living contributor to biotechnology”, elected by the peers of the journal “Scientist” in 2005. He was considered “The most influential scientist” in the area of Agricultural, Industrial, and Environmental Biotechnology for the decade 1995-2005, elected by the peers of Nature Biotechnology 2006. He was on the cover of TIME Magazine in July 31, 2000 and was elected to Academia Europaea, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences.