Thoughts from the President

June 6, 2025 - Man sieht sich immer zweimal in Leben

Dear Danforth Center Community,

In 2002, our team at Oregon State University (OSU) published a series of early papers on small RNAs (siRNAs and microRNAs) in plants, and we attracted a lot of colleagues and collaborators who wanted to learn our methods. One such colleague was a young, German Ph.D. student from a lab across campus. He made several working visits and gained what he needed from Kristin Kasschau, an exceptional senior scientist who was happy to help. I met the student, but honestly, it faded from memory shortly thereafter.

Fast-forward to the Danforth Center atrium yesterday and the 10-year anniversary celebration for the KWS Gateway Research Center, located at BRDG Park. KWS is a major, global company that develops and provides elite seed for corn, sugar beet, and many cereal and vegetable crops. Now with 50 local employees focused on advanced trait development on our campus, KWS has been a vital member of the AgTech ecosystem in 39North and St. Louis since 2015. My role at the event was to get it going with a welcome, say a few words about our partnership, and give thanks to KWS team members and leadership, including their CEO, Felix Büchting. Felix is the great-great-great-great grandson of the founder of KWS, and is continuing the family tradition of leading the company. I did not recall ever meeting Felix previously, so I arrived early to introduce myself and have a brief chat.

“Hi, Felix, it’s good to meet you,” I said while shaking hands. “Yes, it’s good to meet you again,” Felix replied. Now, the instant he said the part about “again,” two urgent thoughts started competing for brain time: Where have we met before, and how old am I getting? With a big smile on his face, Felix explained that he spent time in our lab at OSU, learning how to analyze small RNAs while he was a graduate student in the early 2000s. Felix then said that the Germans have a saying: Man sieht sich immer zweimal im Leben. You always meet twice in a lifetime.

Yesterday’s celebration with KWS was a reminder of the relevance of our mission, and the importance of our neighbors. It also got me thinking about how much better we could all be if we started every individual encounter with the assumption that we would meet that person later.

Jim Carrington,
President and Chief Executive Officer

Previous Weekly Messages from Jim Carrington