June 5, 2007

Plant Gene Expression Center

20th Anniversary Symposium

G. G. Still-Opening Comments

When Sarah Hake and Peter Quail and I discussed what they would like me
to contribute to this symposium they suggested some historical
reflections as to why and how this Institutional Experiment occurred. My
preference is that you be exposed to cutting edge science rather than
historical ramblings.

I have long appreciated Albert Einstein\'s quotation that \" imagination
is more important than knowledge.\" Therefore, it is my hope that the
next day and a half will stimulate your imagination.

Let us take a brief look at what brought about the initiation of the
Institutional Experiment-the Plant Gene Expression Center.

In the middle of the 1970s the Agricultural Research Service began to
restructure their fundamental plant science programs to focus on basic
questions. In 1977, I joined the National Program Staff to take
responsibility for the basic plant science program. At that time, the
Congress became interested in photosynthesis, biological nitrogen
fixation, and other fundamental questions. This opened a window of
opportunity to bring focus to funding and organization for
investigations in support of these more basic questions. After
successful budget cycles the Agency was in a position to begin to hire
talented young scientists\-\--for example at the University of Illinois,
Charles Arntzen, John Boyer, Don Ort and Archie Portis, joined Bill
Ogren, who hired a young Post Doc, Chris Somerville.

The window of opportunity had begun to open further.

In the early 1980s, while serving as Chief Scientist, responsible for
Plant and Entomology Sciences in the office of the Secretary of
Agriculture, I had the opportunity to begin an overview of how well USDA
was integrating the new biotechnology into its State and Federal
research programs.

It was at that time that I was introduced to Dr. Bill Brown, lead
geneticist and plant breeder for Pioneer Hybrid Seeds. He was then
establishing the Board on Agriculture, National Academy of Sciences.
This dialogue laid the foundation for the concept that would become the
Plant Gene Expression Center. Bill Brown also brought the National
Academy of Sciences into a position to support the Center.

Many people in positions of influence are responsible for the
implementation of the PGEC. Anson Bertrand, Assistant Secretary for
Science and Education; Terry Kinney, Administrator, and Mary Carter,
Associate Administrator of ARS; and many others were instrumental in
assuring the survival of this

"free radical" for science.

The next question was, where to establish this Center. There were many
universities with strong programs in Agriculture that were convinced
that their campus was the perfect location. This now becomes "political
science" rather than science.

A window of opportunity occurred in California on the Berkeley campus
when Chancellor Mike Hyman quickly embraced an opportunity and Jim
Kendrick, Mike Freeling, Milt Schroth, and many others, were made
available to become part of making the Center a reality.

In these early stages two key factors were necessary for success: first,
the ARS needed to bring new programs and resources into the Western
Regional Research Center campus, and second, the University of
California, Berkeley, recognized an opportunity to enhance their plant
science programs with outstanding young scientists and students.

As in any major event, a great many divergent forces must be in
agreement, albeit for a short period of time, in order to maintain the
window of opportunity. That happened in the case of the Plant Gene
Expression Center.

Let us recall 20 years ago that the horizon was ablaze with the
enthusiasm for the application of biotechnology for Agriculture. The
emerging technology appeared to offer unparalleled opportunities for
Agriculture. Gene manipulation, even at the level of DNA, did not, and
does not, necessarily lead to the understanding of Gene structure,
organization, function, and expression in crop plants. The Agriculture
Research Service had grave concerns that because of the enormous
expectations for the application of DNA technology to production
Agriculture\-\-\-\-\-\--concerns due to the recognized complexity of the
Plant genome; concern for the lack of documented experience and success
in this field of biology; concern that the expectations would not be met
and that corporate enthusiasm would wane\-\-\-\-\--in fact, concerns
that the opportunity for the application of biotechnology for
Agriculture would be missed.

It was against this historical background that the Plant Gene Expression
Center began. The center is a 20-year experiment: An experiment to
understand the workings of informational molecules that provide the
genetics of our plant systems. The Center is part of a community rapidly
developing technology that will answer the questions of structure and
function; of regulation of development; of how to use traditional
genetics, molecular genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry to
sustain productivity and the value-added opportunities for future
production Agriculture.

The Plant Gene Expression Center is now an adolescent. The blending of
two diverse institutional cultures to provide the experimental
environment is unique. The resulting \" hybrid-vigor\" is recorded in
the Center\'s productivity. This was part of the experiment. History is
presently being written.

The long-term outcome is in the hands, not only of the men and women who
are the Plant Gene expression Center, but also in the hands of the users
of the Center\'s products.

Philip H. Abelson wrote in his Science editorial \# 1465, published 27
September 1991, and titled \"Plant Gene Expression Center." In this
editorial he references the center\'s goals; he introduces the new
staff; he discusses a bit of the proposed program, and then raises the
following question\--\"one of the hazards now faced by the PGEC is
pressure for immediate practical results. In research, such an attitude
often leads to unimaginative plodding activities. Good scientists
survive much more diligently and creatively to implement their own
initiatives than to follow the dictates of others.\" The PGEC was
designed so that imaginative scientists, supported by adequate funding
with adequate technical support and adequate physical facilities, could
pursue their scientific bliss while concurrently meeting the needs of
world Agriculture through their imaginative innovations.

I am grateful that the Agriculture Research Service is supporting this
somewhat radical idea. I am grateful that they recognize, that with
broad oversight, their goals too can be met through discovery research
for Agriculture. I think that if Bill Brown, Philip Abelson, Anson
Bertrand, Terry Kinney, Mike Hyman, and many others, were to visit the
Plant Gene Expression Center today\-\-\-\--witness what this
institutional experiment has accomplished in science for Agriculture,
while providing a highly trained human resource that has spread around
the world --they would say to you, the men and women who have carried
this load, a job well done! Let us not forget that a job well done could
not have been possible without the support and dedication of many\--most
of whom remained faceless and are seldom recognized.

Finally, at this point in history, we must come to the conclusion that
the Institutional Experiment\-\-\-\-\-- The Plant Gene Expression
Center\-\-\-\-- is a success.

I look forward to a wonderful symposium.

Thank you very much for the privilege of being part of this dynamic and
productive experiment, providing science for Agriculture.