David Lightfoot

Background

About David Lightfoot

Dr Lightfoot has made exceptional contributions in three areas. First, starting in 1997 he led the team that created the first physical map of a crop plant genome. The map was only the second made for broad leaved plant species. The map was the first made for a partly diploidized polyploid genome. He served the information to the scientific community using web based tools at SoyGD. The second area of exceptional contributions has come in the field of soybean genetics. Starting in 1991 Dr. Lightfoot developed a novel and inventive genetic system using immortal soybean lines (RILs and NILs) that has allowed the identification of over 100 loci of economic importance, their verification and for allows for the identification of the underlying genes. The system has helped with or resulted in the isolation of genes for disease resistance (SCN, SDS, bacterial pustule), genes underlying seed oil composition (KasI) and nodulation (Nark). Many more will be isolated by the distributed network of collaborators who use the system. This research has been recognized as exceptional and inventive by the issuance of 3 patents to date with several patents pending. The third area of excellence is particularly meritorious because it is broad in applications to all crop plants. The glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) gene technology was introduced to plants by Dr. Lightfoot. In reducing to practice he discovered new and surprising effects of the gene including biomass increase, herbicide tolerance, drought tolerance, higher nutritional value of plant parts and reduced contamination of foods by carcinogenic aflatoxins. The technology was recognized as exceptional and inventive by the issuance of 3 patents to date with one pending. Both issued patents are licensed to a major biotechnology company for commercialization purposes. Specialties: He works on novel gene discovery by genomics, particularly methods to decode and use the DNA sequences of chromosomes. He targets commercially valuable disease resistances, phyto-pharmaceuticals, crop yield boosting elements and latterly human genetics. He collaborates with 157 scientist worldwide. He has published 126 peer reviewed articles, five book chapters, one book and thousands of DNA sequences. He has been awarded patent rights to 4 inventions. He has trained 10 PhD and 30 MS students.