The Southeastern Conference named MU biological sciences professor James Birchler as its Professor of the Year for 2017 on Wednesday, April 12.
As the University of Missouri System Curators’ distinguished professor of biological sciences, Birchler teaches classes in general genetics and advanced plant genetics and has been a member of the National Academy of Sciences since 2011.
He studies the structure and function of cells and has created a widely used technique to visualize genes and chromosome features. John Walker, the director of biological sciences at MU, said it’s one of his most notable accomplishments.
“The technique is basically labeling chromosomes with specific to visualize their features underneath a microscope,” Walker said. “We can then create what are known as artificial chromosomes.”
Birchler said the agricultural industry can benefit from these techniques in the future.
“The artificial chromosome will allow us to put many different genes onto an independent chromosome that we can manipulate. This will potentially add new properties and make crops resistant to pests,” Birchler said. “The technique that we developed has been applied to various species including rice, wheat and cabbage.”
According to Walker, Bircher is not only an extremely production researcher but also one of the best teachers in the classroom.
He also co-founded the “gene balance hypothesis,” a theory explaining how organisms maintain the appropriate ratio of different genes.
The SEC Professor of the Year Awards is administered by the academic initiative of the Southeastern Conference. Birchler was selected by provosts from other SEC member universities and will be awarded a $20,000 honorarium in recognition of his accomplishment.