St. Louis, Missouri
May 1,  2001

Today the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced the appointment three new scientists to its growing team of world-class researchers.

Dr. Daniel P. Schachtman, Associate Member, comes to the Danforth Center from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization of Australia (CSIRO) where his
work has focused on the growth and mineral uptake of plants in problem soils. The broad aim of his research is to develop an understanding of the molecular mechanisms used by plant roots
to get needed minerals from the soil and the way these mechanisms help the plant adapt to stresses in the soil. Dr. Schachtman received his Ph.D. in plant physiology and genetics at the Australian National University.

Dr. Thomas J. Smith, Member, conducts research which uses a "hybrid technology" combining protein crystallography with other biophysical techniques. This technology is used as a tool for
examining the relationship between protein structure and function. His work focuses on three key areas: antibody-mediated neutralization of viruses, the mechanism of action of fungal toxin, and the mechanism of transmission of insect-borne viruses. Dr. Smith comes to the Danforth Center
from the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University. He received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Rochester.

Dr. Oliver Xiaodan Yu, Assistant Member, studies plant secondary metabolites, specifically investigating the metabolic pathway that produces isoflavonoids, compounds which have
received much attention recently for their health benefit to people. At the Danforth Center, Yu plans to continue study of this pathway with the aim of potentially altering the production of
isoflavonoids or to synthesize new isoflavonoid compounds with significant health benefits. Dr. Yu comes to the Danforth Center from the DuPont Agricultural Products Experimental Station in
Wilmington, Delaware. He received his Ph.D. in plant physiology and genetics from the University of South Carolina.

Drs. Schachtman, Smith and Yu will begin their work at the Danforth Center this summer.

The Danforth Center is a not-for-profit research institution. Its state-of-the-art 170,000 square foot research facility that will ultimately house up to 250 scientists is currently under construction in Creve Coeur and is scheduled to open in September 2001.

The Center was founded in 1998 as the product of a unique and innovative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the University of Missouri-Columbia, Monsanto Company, Purdue University, and Washington University in St. Louis.

The mission of the Danforth Center is to increase understanding of basic plant biology; to apply new knowledge to help sustain productivity in agriculture, forestry, and allied fields; to facilitate
the rapid development and commercialization of promising technologies and products; and to contribute to the education and training of graduate and postdoctoral students, scientists, and technicians from around the world.

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