Robert Thomas Fraley (January 25, 1953, Danville, Illinois) was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Monsanto, where he helped to develop the first genetically modified seeds. He retired from Monsanto in June 2018. He advocates for the use of

GMO A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

products to address global

food insecurity Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World F ...

and reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture.

Early life and education

Fraley grew up on a farm near Hoopeston, Illinois. Fraley attended the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

for both his bachelors and PhD, the latter focused on microbiology and biochemistry, working with Professor Samuel Kaplan in the Department of Microbiology, and completed in 1979. He did post-doctoral research in biophysics at the

University of California-San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It cond ...

. By 1983 he was working at Monsanto, where he was able to use ''

Agrobacterium tumefaciens ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' (more commonly known as ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'') is the causal agent of crown gall disease (the formation of tumours) in over 140 species of eudicots. It is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative soil bacterium. Sympto ...

'' to transfer genes conferring a selectable marker into the cells of petunia plants.

Recognition

* In 1988 Fraley was elected a fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

. * Fraley received

The Progressive Farmer ''Progressive Farmer'' is an agricultural magazine, published 14 times a year by Data Transmission Network, DTN. The magazine is based in Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama. History Founded in Winston, North Carolina, in 1886 by North Car ...

's Man of the Year in 1995. * In 1999 he was awarded he National Medal of Technology by President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

. * In 2008, he received the

NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science The NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science is awarded by the U.S. United States National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences "for original scientific work of intrinsic scientific importance and with significant, beneficia ...

"for developing technologies that enabled the production of the world's first transgenic crops." * In 2009, he received the

Biotechnology Heritage Award The Biotechnology Heritage Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of biotechnology through discovery, innovation, and public understanding. It is presented annually at the Biotechnology Innovation ...

from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the

Chemical Heritage Foundation The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center. It was fo ...

. * Fraley won the 2013 World Food Prize for "breakthrough achievements in founding, developing, and applying modern agricultural biotechnology". *Fraley was inducted as a Laureate o
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois
and awarded the

Order of Lincoln The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to recognizing contributions made by living Illinoisans. Named for Abraham Lincoln, the Academy administers the ''Order of Lincoln'', the highest award given ...

(the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois on June 19, 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraley, Robert 21st-century American biologists American chief technology officers University of Illinois alumni Monsanto employees Living people 1953 births Agriculture and food award winners