Joyce Van Eck

Last updated
Joyce Marie Van Eck
NationalityAmerican
Education Pennsylvania State University, University of Delaware, Cornell University
Scientific career
FieldsPlant Biology, Genome Editing
Institutions Cornell University, Boyce Thompson Institute
Thesis Transfer of large amounts of DNA via somatic hybridization and particle bombardment  (1993)
Academic advisors Sherry L. Kitto

Joyce Van Eck is a plant biologist and faculty member at the Boyce Thompson Institute in Ithaca, NY. [1] She is an Adjunct Professor in the Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University. [2]

Contents

Education

Van Eck attended Pennsylvania State University as an undergraduate, receiving a bachelor's degree in plant breeding. She studied plant tissue culture at the University of Delaware with Sherry L. Kitto including the regeneration of mint species from culture. [3] She completed her PhD at Cornell University in 1993. [4] In 2008 she became the director of the Boyce Thompson Center for Biotechnology, and in 2013 was promoted to Assistant Professor. [5]

Research

Van Eck was responsible for the first use of Cas9 for genome editing in tomato. [6] She used a similar genome editing approach to conduct de novo domestication of the ground cherry. By editing three genes, her lab developed new varieties of ground cherries that were more compact and produced more flowers and larger fruits. [7] She is part of the Physalis Improvement Project which is studying how goldenberries, ground cherries, and tomatillos grow across the country. [8]

Related Research Articles

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Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms.

Gene knockdown is an experimental technique by which the expression of one or more of an organism's genes is reduced. The reduction can occur either through genetic modification or by treatment with a reagent such as a short DNA or RNA oligonucleotide that has a sequence complementary to either gene or an mRNA transcript.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Designer baby</span> Genetically modified human embryo

A designer baby is a baby whose genetic makeup has been selected or altered, often to exclude a particular gene or to remove genes associated with disease. This process usually involves analysing a wide range of human embryos to identify genes associated with particular diseases and characteristics, and selecting embryos that have the desired genetic makeup; a process known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Screening for single genes is commonly practiced, and polygenic screening is offered by a few companies. Other methods by which a baby's genetic information can be altered involve directly editing the genome before birth, which is not routinely performed and only one instance of this is known to have occurred as of 2019, where Chinese twins Lulu and Nana were edited as embryos, causing widespread criticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CRISPR</span> Family of DNA sequence found in prokaryotic organisms

CRISPR is a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria and archaea. These sequences are derived from DNA fragments of bacteriophages that had previously infected the prokaryote. They are used to detect and destroy DNA from similar bacteriophages during subsequent infections. Hence these sequences play a key role in the antiviral defense system of prokaryotes and provide a form of acquired immunity. CRISPR is found in approximately 50% of sequenced bacterial genomes and nearly 90% of sequenced archaea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven D. Tanksley</span> American geneticist

Steven Dale Tanksley is the Chief Technology Officer of Nature Source Improved Plants. Prior to founding Nature Source Improved Plants, Tanksley served as the Liberty Hyde Bailey professor of plant breeding and biometry and chair of the Genomics Initiative Task Force at Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is currently a Professor Emeritus at Cornell University.

The historical application of biotechnology throughout time is provided below in chronological order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene targeting</span> Genetic technique that uses homologous recombination to change an endogenous gene

Gene targeting is a biotechnological tool used to change the DNA sequence of an organism. It is based on the natural DNA-repair mechanism of Homology Directed Repair (HDR), including Homologous Recombination. Gene targeting can be used to make a range of sizes of DNA edits, from larger DNA edits such as inserting entire new genes into an organism, through to much smaller changes to the existing DNA such as a single base-pair change. Gene targeting relies on the presence of a repair template to introduce the user-defined edits to the DNA. The user will design the repair template to contain the desired edit, flanked by DNA sequence corresponding (homologous) to the region of DNA that the user wants to edit; hence the edit is targeted to a particular genomic region. In this way Gene Targeting is distinct from natural homology-directed repair, during which the ‘natural’ DNA repair template of the sister chromatid is used to repair broken DNA. The alteration of DNA sequence in an organism can be useful in both a research context – for example to understand the biological role of a gene – and in biotechnology, for example to alter the traits of an organism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified animal</span> Animal that has been genetically modified

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boyce Thompson Institute</span> Independent plant-based research group at Cornell University

The Boyce Thompson Institute is an independent research institute devoted to using plant sciences to improve agriculture, protect the environment, and enhance human health. The Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) is located on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, United States, and is fully integrated in the research infrastructure of the university. Faculty at BTI are members of several Cornell Departments, including Plant Biology, Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Molecular Biology & Genetics, as well as Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology. BTI is governed by a board of directors, which is in part appointed by Cornell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genome editing</span> Type of genetic engineering

Genome editing, or genome engineering, or gene editing, is a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted, modified or replaced in the genome of a living organism. Unlike early genetic engineering techniques that randomly inserts genetic material into a host genome, genome editing targets the insertions to site-specific locations. The basic mechanism involved in genetic manipulations through programmable nucleases is the recognition of target genomic loci and binding of effector DNA-binding domain (DBD), double-strand breaks (DSBs) in target DNA by the restriction endonucleases, and the repair of DSBs through homology-directed recombination (HDR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Doudna</span> American biochemist and Nobel laureate (born 1964)

Jennifer Anne Doudna is an American biochemist who has done pioneering work in CRISPR gene editing, and made other fundamental contributions in biochemistry and genetics. Doudna was one of the first women to share a Nobel in the sciences. She received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with Emmanuelle Charpentier, "for the development of a method for genome editing." She is the Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair Professor in the department of chemistry and the department of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic engineering techniques</span> Methods used to change the DNA of organisms

Genetic engineering techniques allow the modification of animal and plant genomes. Techniques have been devised to insert, delete, and modify DNA at multiple levels, ranging from a specific base pair in a specific gene to entire genes. There are a number of steps that are followed before a genetically modified organism (GMO) is created. Genetic engineers must first choose what gene they wish to insert, modify, or delete. The gene must then be isolated and incorporated, along with other genetic elements, into a suitable vector. This vector is then used to insert the gene into the host genome, creating a transgenic or edited organism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De-extinction</span> Process of re-creating an extinct species

De-extinction is the process of generating an organism that either resembles or is an extinct species. There are several ways to carry out the process of de-extinction. Cloning is the most widely proposed method, although genome editing and selective breeding have also been considered. Similar techniques have been applied to certain endangered species, in hopes to boost their genetic diversity. The only method of the three that would provide an animal with the same genetic identity is cloning. There are benefits and drawbacks to the process of de-extinction ranging from technological advancements to ethical issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuelle Charpentier</span> French microbiologist, biochemist and Nobel laureate

Emmanuelle Marie Charpentier is a French professor and researcher in microbiology, genetics, and biochemistry. As of 2015, she has been a director at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin. In 2018, she founded an independent research institute, the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens. In 2020, Charpentier and American biochemist Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the development of a method for genome editing". This was the first science Nobel Prize ever won by two women only.

Stephen H. Tsang is an American ophthalmologist and geneticist. He is currently a Professor of Ophthalmology, and Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York.

Adam J. Bogdanove is a Professor of Plant Pathology at Cornell University. He is most notable for his central role in the development of TAL effector based DNA targeting reagents, following his discovery of TAL effector modularity with Matthew Moscou in 2009. Since, he has been a leader in the field, pioneering applications in genome editing and contributing one of the most widely used methods for designing custom TAL effectors using Golden Gate Cloning. Bogdanove is now widely recognized for revolutionizing the area of DNA targeting, along with scientists such as Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Jiankui affair</span> 2018 scientific and bioethical controversy

The He Jiankui affair is a scientific and bioethical controversy concerning the use of genome editing following its first use on humans by Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who edited the genomes of human embryos in 2018. He became widely known on 26 November 2018 after he announced that he had created the first human genetically edited babies. He was listed in Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2019. The affair led to ethical and legal controversies, resulting in the indictment of He and two of his collaborators, Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou. He eventually received widespread international condemnation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CRISPR gene editing</span> Gene editing method

CRISPR gene editing standing for "Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats" is a genetic engineering technique in molecular biology by which the genomes of living organisms may be modified. It is based on a simplified version of the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 antiviral defense system. By delivering the Cas9 nuclease complexed with a synthetic guide RNA (gRNA) into a cell, the cell's genome can be cut at a desired location, allowing existing genes to be removed and/or new ones added in vivo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zachary Lippman</span> American plant biologist

Zachary B. Lippman is an American plant biologist and the Jacob Goldfield Professor of Genetics at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and a member of the National Academy of Sciences Lippman has used gene editing technology to investigate the control of fruit production in various crops. In 2019 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and in 2020 he received the National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences.

Molly Jahn is an American plant geneticist and breeder and Professor of Agronomy at University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. She was Under Secretary of Research, Education and Economics in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

References

  1. "Joyce Van Eck".
  2. "Joyce van Eck".
  3. Van Eck, Joyce M. (1989). Item Details Page for Regeneration of mentha species. delcat.on.worldcat.org (M.S).
  4. Van Eck, Joyce Marie. "Transfer of large amounts of DNA via somatic hybridization and particle bombardment". hdl:2027/coo.31924062830223 via newcatalog.library.cornell.edu.
  5. "Professor Joyce Van Eck - Improving Crops By Genetic Engineering And Targeted Genome Editing • scientia.global". February 15, 2017.
  6. Brooks, C.; Nekrasov, V.; Lippman, Z. B.; Van Eck, J. (2014). "Efficient Gene Editing in Tomato in the First Generation Using the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-Associated9 System". Plant Physiology. 166 (3): 1292–1297. doi:10.1104/pp.114.247577. PMC   4226363 . PMID   25225186.
  7. Greenwood, Veronique (October 5, 2018). "Taming the Groundcherry: With Crispr, a Fussy Fruit Inches Toward the Supermarket". The New York Times.
  8. "Tomato fans: How you can get free ground cherries and goldenberries for your garden". Los Angeles Times. January 30, 2020.