Mary-Dell Chilton was the first person to show that bacteria could genetically modify plants. Shortly after her landmark work in 1977, the plant biotechnologist moved from academia to what is now Syngenta in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, where she continues her research. In April, she was named a US National Academy of Inventors Fellow.

Syngenta

When did you decide to work with bacteria?

As an organic-chemistry graduate student learning about microbiology, I became entranced by the seeming intelligence of DNA — how pure DNA could correct a mutation in a bacterium, but only if the DNA came from the same bacterium. I pursued a PhD on the topic after I met Benjamin Hall, a chemist working on DNA. I wanted to explore how DNA could change the genetics of bacteria. I followed Hall to the University of Washington in Seattle, where I showed that naked, single-stranded DNA — not only double-stranded DNA, as was thought — could correct mutations.

What was the response to your paper showing that bacteria can transfer DNA to plants?

It was hard to publish our work because our conclusion — that Agrobacterium is a natural genetic engineer — was so wildly unexpected. We went to Cell because there wasn't a proper journal for this subject. Two referees couldn't see anything wrong with our conclusions, but they weren't comfortable publishing it, so they sent us back for more data. In the end, it took about six months to get the paper out (M.-D. Chilton et al. Cell 11, 263–271; 1977). Once it was out, there was wide interest.

What prompted your move to St Louis, Missouri — now an agricultural-technical hub?

I did not have a faculty appointment at the University of Washington. I'm not sure why. I'm pretty sure I was qualified. After 16 years — from PhD student to independent scientist — it was time to go, and I got a position at Washington University in St. Louis. It was hard on my husband's career — he had a good tenure-track appointment in the chemistry department in Seattle. But he became a visiting professor, got a nice research lab and did some good work. My advice, if you can possibly do it, is to find a husband made of solid gold.

Was it difficult being a woman in science?

I never thought about being a woman in science. I thought of myself as a scientist. Maybe that's the way to do it: be what you are and don't think about it.

What was your first achievement as a faculty member?

I worked with others to make the first genetically modified plant. We put a yeast gene that makes alcohol dehydrogenase into a tobacco plant, and showed that it could be passed on, intact, to the plant's children and grandchildren. It was clear that all the technical pieces had come together to make genetically modified plants, but we were naive. It wasn't easy.

You then moved to industry. What was the biggest challenge?

I knew how to modify a tobacco plant, but not a field crop such as maize (corn) or wheat, which are not susceptible to Agrobacterium. We had no idea that it would take about a decade to find a way to transfer genes in maize.

Did you anticipate the backlash to genemodification technology?

Goodness, no. I was very surprised. This was a natural process that we learned from Agrobacterium. I thought that the public wouldn't bat an eye. This technology is a tool; there is nothing intrinsically dangerous about it. Tools can be used for good or not so good. My hope is that the technology will be accepted. We need it to feed a hungry world.

What are you excited about now?

I'm working on gene targeting: the ability to put the transgene where you want it in the plant genome. Knowing exactly where it will be placed will help genetically modified crops to obtain regulatory approval.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.