2010 Lifetime Achievement Award

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 recommended by the Awards Committee.  The Society for In Vitro Biology honored Dr. Wilf Keller, Dr. Peggy Lemaux, and Dr. Donald Ingber with SIVB Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting.  This issue highlights Dr. Wilf Keller’s career.  Dr. Lemaux’s career was highlighted in the last issue of the in Vitro Report and Dr. Donald Ingber’s career will be highlighted in a future issue of the In Vitro Report.  

Dr. Wilf Keller grew up in a small town in Saskatchewan, Canada.  He attended the University of Saskatchewan, College of Agriculture where he completed his Bachelors of Science in Agriculture and then went on to do his Ph. D. specializing in crop science.  After completing his Ph. D. in 1972, Dr. Keller worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Plank Institut fur Biologie in Germany for about a year.  From 1973 to 1989, Dr. Keller was at the Agriculture Agri-Food Canada research centre in Ottawa, serving as a research scientist (1973-1982), a senior research scientist (1982-1989), head of the genetic engineering section (1980-1984) and chair of the plant biotechnology program (1984-1989). In 1989, he joined the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada/Plant Biotechnology Institute (PBI) where he moved from a senior research officer (1989-1992) to a principal research officer (1992-1999). He also worked as a group leader in Brassica biotechnology (1990-1999) and head of the transgenic plant centre (1989-2005). In 1999, Dr. Keller became the research director at PBI. He also served as acting director general of PBI before retirement in 2008. He is now the President and CEO for both Genome Prairie and Ag West Bio.

During the last 35+ years, Dr. Keller has made significant contributions to agricultural biotechnology in Saskatchewan and Canada in terms of research, management, and promotion of the industry.

Dr. Keller has been involved in the development of regeneration protocols for a wide range of crop species including Brassica spp, Sinapis alba, Solanum spp, Lycopersicon esculentum, Amoracia spp, Lesquerella spp, Triticale, Linum usitatissimum, Medicago spp, Antirrhium majus and Echinacea spp.  These methodologies have been successfully employed for clonal propagations, somatic hybridizations and genetic transformations.

Dr. Keller has also been engaged in the development, optimization, and application of haploid production systems in canola (B. napus, B. rapa), mustard (B. juncea, Sinapis alba) and cole crops (B. oleracea).  Microspore embryogenesis technologies developed in his group have been transferred to the canola industry for uses in breeding, mutagenesis, transformation, and seed biochemistry.

Primarily through the excellent work of his graduate students, Dr. Keller and his group were also able to generate a number of somatic hybrids in the Solanaceous and Cruciferous species. They undertook detailed characterization of these plants and in one case successfully transferred the material into a breeding program, resulting in the development of a new variety.

While at PBI, Dr. Keller focused on the subject of Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer and its application to improvement of Brassica crops.  Through excellent support from technical officers and graduate students, they were able to develop reliable and efficient methods for introducing genes into several species including B. napus, B. rapa, B. juncea, B. oleracea, B. carinata, Sinapis alba, Eruca sativa and Lesquerella fendleri.  They characterized transgenic plants and evaluated their progeny in the field. Dr. Keller actively worked with private and public organizations to evaluate the commercial potential of selected transgenic lines. The most prominent collaboration involved the development of genetically engineered herbicide tolerant canola, which became North America’s first commercial transgenic crop. Dr. Keller has also collaborated with others to evaluate transgenic plants, with improved quality and tolerance to abiotic stresses.

Dr. Keller has managed a number of large scale projects in Brassica genomics and plants for health and wellness. Dr. Keller has collaborated with industries from large multi-national companies to small start-ups, universities, and producer groups. Dr. Keller has contributed to the training of 23 graduate students, post docs, and technicians.

Dr. Keller has published more than 120 papers, including one, in the prestigious journal Nature, a number of book chapters, over 250 conference abstracts, and 5 patents.  Over the years he has achieved a number of awards from the Canola industry, NRC, and Rotary.

Dr. Keller is a member of the International Association of Plant Biotechnology and has been the Canadian National Correspondent for the association and was also Associate Editor for Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture from 1980 – 1986.  Dr. Keller is a very active member in the plant biotechnology community.  He has been on numerous committees, boards and panels, as well as conference organizing committees including the upcoming ABIC in Saskatoon in September. Dr. Keller is a strong promoter and supporter of agricultural biotechnology in Saskatchewan and Canada.

Dr. Keller has been invited to speak at a number of workshops, conferences, symposia, seminars, as well as being interviewed by the media. Dr. Keller has a way of describing plant biotechnology that can be easily understood by all, whether he is speaking to farmers, scientists, politicians, consumers or the general public.

Overall, Dr. Keller is an important influence in agricultural biotechnology in Saskatchewan and Canada.