U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory: Beltsville, MD
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                                    Software
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Northeast Area Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications
- People
- Research Sites
- Pesticide Volatilization
- Watershed Modeling
- Climate Change
- Soil Moisture
- Drought and ET
- HRSL Brochure

Title:   Author  item
                                            Poulos, James

                                                         - *Jim*item
                                            Griesbach, Robertitem
                                            Hapeman, Cathleenitem
                                            Duke, Stephenitem
                                            ARMBRUST, KEVIN - Louisiana State University
  Submitted to: Chemistry International
                                    Publication Type: Proceedings
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2016
                                    Publication  Date: 9/1/2017
                                    Citation: Poulos Iii, J.A., Griesbach, R.J., Hapeman, C.J., Duke, S.O., Armbrust, K. 2017. The discovery of phytochrome: unlocking the secrets of plants and their connection to light. Chemistry International. 38:14-17.Interpretive Summary:
                                Technical Abstract: The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland USA was recently designated an American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmark for the seminal work of USDA scientists in the discovery of phytochrome, the ubiquitous plant pigment that controls plant growth and development in response to light.  The discovery team was inspired by the work of Harry A. Borthwick and Marion W. Parker in the 1930s, which quantified photoperiodic phenomena and recruited Sterling B. Hendricks into the search for a chemical basis for non-photosynthetic responses of plants to light. Hendricks was a world famous soil chemist and member of the National Academy of Sciences before he became engaged in plant science. He hypothesized the existence of a photoreversible pigment that controls photoperiodism in flowering, seed germination, and many photomorphogenic processes in plants. Karl Norris and Warren Butler created the specialized spectrophotometer that was needed to detect the pigment in vivo. Harold W. (Bill) Siegleman, provided the biochemical expertise to isolate the pigment. The scientific stars aligned in one place, as they rarely do, to make the discovery complete. The discovery of phytochrome (a tetrapyrrole pigment, coupled to a protein), and the proof that it controls almost every aspect of a plant’s response to light was critical discovery for plant science. The ripple effects of their historic research have been tremendous, resulting in many laboratories and scientists worldwide focusing on phytochrome-related research. A dedication ceremony to mark this honor was held at BARC on October 21, 2015 and was followed by a symposium on past, present, and future research related to phytochrome.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov