The highest honor given by the Society for In Vitro Biology is the Lifetime Achievement Award. It is presented to scientists who are considered pioneers or highly influential researchers to the science and art of cell culture. They are men and women who have devoted their careers to exemplary research and/or teaching. The recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award are selected by vote of the Board of Directors from a list of nominations received and recommendation by the Awards Committee.
Letter of Nomination for Prof. Jack Widholm for the Honor of Lifetime Achievement Award to the SIVB from Mike Horn
Todd Jones (L) and Michael Horn (R) present Jack Widholm (Center) with the Lifetime Achievement Award
Prof. Widholm has had a general research interest in the areas of biochemical genetics, genetic manipulation and molecular biology utilizing plant cell culture systems with the goal of crop improvement. Accordingly, he was a world leader in the area of somatic hybrids produced through protoplast fusion and using amino acid analogue resistance in the selection criteria. His lab has isolated cell lines selected for studies of amino acid biosynthesis, gene amplification and disease resistance. A large body of published work involved photosynthetic plant cell cultures and their various uses. Prof. Widholm’s laboratory was one of the first to report the regeneration of soybean, an economically important but recalcitrant crop. The work by Duncan and Widholm is particularly notable as they are remembered as the first to be able to regenerate a wide variety of elite maize genotypes. Work was conducted to develop new selectable markers for both nuclear and plastid transformation.
Still active during his official retirement, his laboratory continues to insert genes into soybean to improve disease resistance and to alter seed composition. Metabolic studies of regenerable and nonregenerable maize callus cultures and other systems are also being carried out.
Summary
There is no doubt that Professor Widholm stands as a giant in the field of plant in vitro technology and biotechnology. His laboratory at the the University of Illinois has produced a large number of “firsts” including: a) the first to isolate and characterize a biochemical plant cell mutant, b) the first to grow higher plant cells photoautotrophically at a rapid growth rate, c) among the first to regenerate soybean, d) the first to show that most corn inbreds could be regenerated by changing the culture conditions. It is difficult to explain how this work has cumulatively impacted the field of plant biotechnology today. Suffice to say, the impact is major and very few scientists have had as major of impact as has Dr. Widholm.
His laboratory at the University of Illinois has produced more than 30 graduate students and postdocs. This total does not include the numerous visiting professors that have studied in Prof. Widholm’s laboratory over the past 35 years. These scientists have gone on to make their own marks in the plant biotechnology field, both in academia and industry, thus spreading Prof. Widholm’s influence worldwide.
Despite being officially retired, Prof. Widholm’s lab is still as active as ever as he continues to attract grant money and publish abundantly.
Submitted by Michael Horn
