Gary A. Strobel (born September 23, 1938) is an American

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...

and

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

. He was co-contributor to the discovery that somaclonal variation occurs in plants and can be used for plant improvement. The discovery of the R_i

plasmid A plasmid is a small, extrachromosomal DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently. They are most commonly found as small circular, double-stranded DNA molecules in bacteria and ...

in Agrobacterium rhizogenes also originated in his

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools ...

. He examined endophytic fungi and bacteria for their novel bioactive compounds and their unique biology. ''Forbes'' magazine called him the "Indiana Jones of fungus hunters" for his expeditions, collections, and research into fungi.Christopher Helman The Indiana Jones of Fungus Hunters; Bio-prospector Gary Strobel's latest find: a fungus from Patagonia that produces diesel May 25, 2009 page 36, 38 Forbes

Early life and education

Strobel was born and raised in

Massillon, Ohio Massillon is a city in western Stark County, Ohio, United States, along the Tuscarawas River. The population was 32,146 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Massillon is a principal city of the Canton–Massillon metropolitan area, whic ...

. He completed a B.S. degree at

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...

in 1960, and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

at the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...

in 1963.

Academic career

He has been on the faculty of

Montana State University - Bozeman Montana State University (MSU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana, United States. It enrolls more students than any other college or university in the state. MSU offers bacc ...

since 1970, earning the title of

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

plant pathology Plant pathology or phytopathology is the scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Plant pathology involves the study of pathogen identification, disease ...

on September 30, 2005. His research and academic interests have centered on microbe – higher plant relationships. His work on the modification of tree microflora to preclude plant disease received major national attention in his efforts to biologically control Dutch elm disease. Strobel has lectured at over 350 institutes and universities worldwide and published over 350 articles in scientific journals and holds nearly 50 USA and International patents. From 1979 to 2000 he was chief of the Montana NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program which encourages and promotes science at all levels of society.

Endophytes

Strobel has embarked on collection trips and research into the use of

endophyte An endophyte is an endosymbiont, often a bacterium or fungus, that lives within a plant for at least part of its life cycle without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitous and have been found in all species of plants studied to date; ...

s for various applications. He has licensed more than 20 specimens to pharmaceutical and chemical companies, and his discoveries have included a specimen that grows on the Yew tree that produces taxol, one that produces a fumigant, and another that produces volatile gases (hydrocarbons). The amount of gas produced relative to the food inputs is much lower for the endophyte than other biodiesel production methods, but research into bioengineering the biodiesel production traits into fast reproducing

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

is ongoing.

Controversy

Strobel was reprimanded by the EPA in 1987 for injecting genetically altered bacteria into American elms. At that time it became known that, three years previously, he had developed and released another genetically engineered microbe into the wild without requesting permission from the government, a "clear violation of Federal guidelines in effect at the time."

Awards and memberships

* NIH Career Development award * Wiley award * Special recognition from the Royal Nepal Chemical Society * Elected to membership in the

American Society for Microbiology The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), originally the Society of American Bacteriologists, is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. It wa ...

* Member of

The Explorers Club The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for ex ...

Personal life

His son, Scott Strobel, is a professor at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strobel, Gary Living people American microbiologists American phytopathologists Colorado State University alumni University of California, Davis alumni University of Montana faculty People from Massillon, Ohio 1938 births