James Hathaway, 480-965-6375
[email protected]
May 11, 2000
Photo: http://clasdean.la.asu.edu/news/images/arntzen/
Arntzen to Join ASU as Nelson Presidential Chair
Arizona State University has announced that Charles J. Arntzen, currently president and CEO of the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in Ithaca, N.Y., will join ASU on October 1, 2000 as the Florence Ely Nelson Presidential Chair in Plant Biology.
Arntzen is a pioneer in devising new strategies in the medical use of plants, in particular in the genetic engineering of plants to produce oral vaccines. He is internationally recognized for his successful work on the delivery of "edible" vaccines through food plants such as bananas, potatoes and tomatoes -- a revolutionary innovation that may be of particular importance in developing countries where infectious diseases are a major cause of death, especially for children, and delivery of standard vaccines is problematic.
"We are delighted that Dr. Arntzen has decided to come to ASU," said ASU Provost Milton Glick. "He is a leader in biotechnology and biomedicine, and his research should be a major addition to our interests in those areas, including our existing programs in plant biology, biology, biochemistry, and biomedical research. In particular, he complements and extends the outstanding group we have in photosynthesis and photonic processes."
"Dr. Arntzen will give an enormous boost to our biotechnology program, particularly in molecular genetics and plant biology," said Kenneth Hoober, chair of the Department of Plant Biology. "He started the field of edible vaccines and remains the recognized leader in it. His presence will help us attract other top people here as well."
At the Boyce Thompson Institute, a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with Cornell University, Arntzen's research team has conducted human clinical trials of three different prototype vaccines, two of which are designed to prevent diarrheal disease, and one to protect against hepatitis B, a deadly liver disease.
Arntzen's research in edible vaccines involves transferring to plants several genes that produce specific disease-related antigens (proteins specific to viruses or microorganisms). When the plant material is eaten, the antigens are recognized by specialized immune systems cells located in the intestine. These proteins cause the body's immune system to respond, creating increased immunity against the disease.
In developing nations, diarrheal diseases such as cholera cause the deaths of at least two and one-half million children every year, and known methods of immunization are ineffective because of the cost and difficulty of delivering perishable vaccines. Plant-based vaccines offer a new strategy for mass vaccination, therefore saving the lives of many of these children.
Arntzen is also involved in anti-cancer drug discovery. He currently holds a major grant from the Foundation for Research to study anti-cancer compounds in desert plants. One plant in this study, the drought-tolerant desert tree Acacia victoriae, produces a compound that appears to selectively kill cancer cells.
Arntzen is active professionally and is a member of the board of numerous public and private scientific organizations, including the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum in Superior, Arizona. He is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Biotechnology Consortium and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences in the US and in India.
He has held faculty positions at the University of Illinois and Michigan State University and visiting professorships in the Laboratoire de Photosynthese du CNRS in France, the Department of Applied Mathematics in Canberra, Australia, and the Academia Sinica in Beijing, China. He also served as a research scientist with the USDA and as the director of the Michigan State University's DOE-funded Plant Research Laboratory. In 1984, he joined the Dupont Company as Director of Plant Science and Microbiology and was later promoted to Director of Biotechnology in the Agricultural Products Department. In 1988, he was appointed Dean and Deputy Chancellor for Agriculture of Texas A&M University, where he later also served as Director of the University's Plant Biotechnology Program of the Institute of Biosciences and Technology.
"Dr. Arntzen will be a major new asset for our research and teaching missions," said Gary Krahenbuhl, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "He's the kind of exceptional faculty member whose work both crosses and unites knowledge boundaries. He's sure to be a catalyst for exciting new programs at ASU."
"Dr. Arntzen's extensive experience in the academy, federal agencies and in private industry should be especially valuable to graduate students at ASU," said Bianca Bernstein, dean of the Graduate College.
"Biotechnology is a burgeoning field and his prominence will make him an important mentor for our students. We are particularly pleased that Dr. Arntzen has agreed to participate in advancing professional development through the Graduate College's Preparing Future Faculty program -- his expertise in interdisciplinary scholarship and his practice of scholarly work in multiple settings will lend an invaluable dimension to the preparation we offer at ASU to the next generation of university and college faculty."
The Florence Ely Nelson Presidential Chair is one of 72 new chairs and professorships that ASU has received during its current Campaign for Leadership. ASU Presidential Chairs are among the university's most prestigious appointments, designed to provide ASU with the flexibility and financial strength to respond quickly to new opportunities and to nurture the most promising academic enterprises. The Florence Ely Nelson Presidential Chair is supported by an endowment established in the ASU Foundation by Florence and Jerry Nelson of Scottsdale.
ASU
Note: Web links to more information about Dr. Arntzen are available at http://clasdean.la.asu.edu/news/arntzen.htm
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