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Mission
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a global mission to improve the human condition through plant science.
Feed the hungry and improve human health
Preserve and renew our environment
Enhance our region as a world center for plant science
Research at the Danforth Center strives to enhance the nutritional content of plants, increase agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply, reduce the use of pesticides, water and fertilizer, develop new and sustainable biofuels, as well as provide the scientific ideas and technologies that will contribute to the economic growth of the St. Louis region.
Background
The Danforth Center was founded in 1998 through
gifts from the St. Louis-based Danforth Foundation,
the Monsanto Fund (a philanthropic foundation), and
a tax credit from the State of Missouri. Among the
distinct features of the Center is the unique and
innovative alliance joining the Danforth Center in
collaborative research with the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Missouri Botanical
Garden, the University of Missouri-Columbia,
Monsanto Company, Purdue University, and Washington
University in St. Louis.
Research Focus
Research team leaders, referred to as Principal
Investigators, have strong interdisciplinary
research skills with diverse training and are
committed to collaborations between research groups
within the Danforth Center, among the Danforth
Center Alliance, as well as with other researchers
across the globe.
The Danforth Center building
opened in October 2001 and houses state-of-the-art
facilities and equipment including those required
for protein crystallography, proteomics and mass
spectrometry, microscopy and imaging of live cells,
cell and tissue culture, and for control and
maintenance of plants.
Research at the Center is organized around four
research focus areas to efficiently deliver plant
science solutions to meet the global needs of
agriculture and human health and nutrition.
A distinguishing feature of the
Center is the commitment to translational research
with colleagues from developing countries, targeting
projects that lead to products designed for use in
less developed countries. Director of International
Programs is charged with engaging scientists in
international projects and to seek funds for
collaboration, implementation, and eventually field
studies and product release.
Personnel Overview
Dr. Roger N. Beachy, internationally known for his
groundbreaking research on virus-resistant plants,
is the president of the Danforth Center and oversees
12 principal investigators each managing their own
lab. Two additional lead investigators are employees
of the USDA-ARS. Of the Center’s 160 staff, 80
percent are researchers.
Contact Information
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
975 North Warson Road
St. Louis, MO 63132
(314) 587-1000
http://www.danforthcenter.org
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