Golden Valley, Minnesota
May 17, 2007
Syngenta has announced the appointment of Steve Goff, senior
Syngenta fellow, to the role of science advisor for corn and
soybean seeds and crop genetics research. Goff will closely
monitor public and private sector trends in research and
discovery to provide scientific and technical expertise to
Syngenta corn and soybean product development.
As a leader in genomics, Goff has participated in several
important research initiatives, including leadership in mapping
and sequencing the rice genome. Directing a team of more than 30
scientists and researchers, Goff developed a strategy for the
genome project before submitting the final results to Science
Magazine, where it was published in 2002. This research has led
to data now used as a research tool to help map corn and wheat,
which have similar genetic structures.
“Steve has contributed significantly to Syngenta by advancing
the research and development process, which is imperative to the
corn and soybean seeds business,” said Ray Riley, global head of
product development, Syngenta Corn and Soybean Seeds. “His
experience, such as sequencing the rice genome, will help ensure
that Syngenta is able to continually evolve our research
strategies through high quality scientific input, as we strive
to be the first choice for corn and soybean seed growers.”
Goff has held several positions in Syngenta, including senior
scientist, head of DNA sequencing, director of structural
genomics and director of genome technology at Torrey Mesa
Research Institute. Prior to joining Syngenta, Goff obtained a
Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz
and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Additionally, Goff was
recently presented Scientific American’s Research Leader of the
Year Award for his role in mapping and sequencing the rice
genome.
Syngenta is a
world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture
through innovative research and technology. The company is a
leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value
commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1
billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90
countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN)
and in New York (SYT). |
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