Botanist wins prestigious international award

A botany professor who conducted pioneering research on the plant growth hormone ethylene has been honored with the 2004 Distinguished Researcher Award from the International Plant Growth Substances Association.

Tony Bleecker discovered the protein receptor that attaches to ethylene molecules and helps a seed push out of the soil, an apple ripen and a leaf fall. Using the plant species Arabidopsis as a model, he discovered basic inner workings of hormone mechanisms that apply to all plant life, says Michael Sussman, a fellow Arabidopsis scientist, director of the university’s Biotechnology Center and a professor of biochemistry.

“One of the biggest drawbacks to plant science was that hormone receptors weren’t known,” says Sussman. “As a graduate student, Tony got the first receptor.”

Bleecker continued his groundbreaking work as a faculty member at Wisconsin, where his research led to the ability to genetically engineer plants to control ripening and aging, increasing grower profits and delivering better products to consumers.

“It’s a great honor that Tony was selected to receive this prestigious award by his peers from around the world,” says Rick Amasino, a biochemist and Arabidopsis researcher. “It’s the most prestigious award for the study of plant hormones, and it’s something Tony is very deserving of.”