Ralph Quatrano, Ph.D.

Ralph Quatrano, a founding member of the Nidus Team, brings more than 24 years in research at such highly regarded institutions as the Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology at Oregon State University, DuPont Company, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and Monsanto in addition to his entrepreneurial experience as a founder of MOgene.  His deep understanding of biological science and technology combined with his administrative roles as immediate past dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences and the Spencer T. Olin Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis makes Ralph the ideal lead for the Nidus Strategic Technology Council.  Quatrano’s recent appointment as Dean of Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science will continue to strengthen the value he brings to the Council with his ability to reach across disciplines and lead high-level, strategic discussions amongst the Partners.

Internationally known for his plant science work, Quatrano was one of the earliest investigators to apply the tools of molecular biology to the study of plant gene expression. He is widely recognized for his contributions to our understanding of genetic regulatory mechanisms and environmentally triggered cellular responses in plants, publishing more than 160 research papers and lecturing at institutions worldwide.

He was editor-in-chief for five years of the journal The Plant Cell, the premier journal of plant biology; president of the American Society of Plant Biologists; a member of the Advisory Committee for Biological Sciences Directorate for the National Science Foundation; on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Rockefeller Foundation International Program on Rice Biotechnology; and, from 1991-98, on the Board of Reviewing Editors for Science magazine, the publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Quatrano holds a Botany A.B. from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, a Botany M.S. from Ohio University and a Biology Ph.D. from Yale University.