pride still to drive by a soybean field that is
clean of weeds and think of the provided to
farmers that is due in some small way to
my research efforts. Working at
Monsantowas the greatest learning experi-
ence of my life. Besides the opportunity to
develop transformation methods for a
variety of crops that included sugarbeet,
flax, potato, strawberry, cotton and sweet-
potato, I also learned how a biotech
product was “built” from the ground
up—from conception of the gene construct
all the way through to regulatory approval
of a transgenic plant. Another rewarding
experience I had in this time was leading
a team of Monsanto and African scientists
to develop virus-resistant sweetpotato
for subsistence farmers in Kenya and
other parts of Africa. All this experience
served me well, in my next role as a the
technical lead for a business team dedi-
cated to developing biotech collaborations
in specialty crops world wide in crops such
as forestry, sugarcane and fruits and
vegetables.
IleftMonsantoin2000tobecomethe
Chief Technology Officer of ArborGenLLC, a forestry biotechnology company
which currently develops genetically
improved planting stock for the pulp,
timber and bioenergy industries. As
much as I enjoyed my time at Monsanto,
I truly enjoy the ability I have now to
help guide a young company towards suc-
cessful product development. I foresee in
the future that transgenic technologies
will play a very important role in sustain-
ing our environment by providing sol-
utions to the worsening energy crisis.
ArborGen will be marketing trees that
will require a relatively small land “foot-
print” due to its high productivity and
whichcan supplya renewable and sustain-
able source of biomass for the production
of cellulosic ethanol. A woody biomass
feedstock for biofuel production will
help enable the United States and other
countries to lessen their dependence on
the world’s dwindling petroleum supply.
I am proud of what I have contributed to
in crop biotechnology in the past, but I
believe that transgenic industrial crops
may provide some of the greatest benefits
in the future.LIFE BOX 10.2. TED KLEINTed Klein, Senior Scientist, Pioneer Crop Genetics Research, DuPont
Agriculture & Nutrition
Ted KleinWhen asked how I decided on a career in
plant molecular biology, I often answer by
saying that even as a student in high
school I knew that I wanted to become a
soybean genetic engineer. Given that I
graduated DeWitt Clinton High in the
Bronx in 1972, this is a highly unlikely
scenario. Of course, I am trying to make
thepointthatitisverydifficultto
predict the course of one’s career. I
would never have predicted that I would
be involved with breakthrough science
that changed the course of agriculture.LIFE BOX 10.2. TED KLEIN 271