Mary-Dell Chilton, Pioneer of Genetic Engineering, Dies at 87

Mary-Dell Chilton died on June 24 at her home in Carrboro, N.C., near Chapel Hill. Her son, Mark Chilton, said the cause was congestive heart failure. Chilton was 87. Colleagues remembered her as a driving force behind the first genetically modified plant, a breakthrough that reshaped global agriculture by enabling higher-yielding, pest-resistant, and climate-tolerant crops.

New York Times

In the 1950s Chilton enrolled at the University of Illinois, a time when women were discouraged from scientific careers. She initially planned to major in physics but switched to chemistry after finding freshman lectures dull. An astronomy professor told her she could not take courses in the subject until her sophomore year; she responded, “The hell with that,” and pursued chemistry instead. In 1982 Chilton led a research team that developed a method for inserting foreign genes into a plant, creating the first genetically modified plant. The technique laid the foundation for modern agricultural biotechnology.

New York Times

At Chilton’s 2018 retirement party, Mark Chilton toasted “the astronomy professor who turned her away,” highlighting her determination. Andrew Binns, an emeritus professor of biology at the University of Pennsylvania who collaborated with Chilton on the 1982 discovery, said she was “truly driven by the thought that the world needed to have the best science could offer in order to help humanity feed itself.” Both remarks underscore the scientific and personal impact of her career.

New York Times

• “The hell with that,” — Mary-Dell Chilton, 2008 interview with *Scientific American*

New York Times

• “I had everyone raise a glass to the astronomy professor who turned her away.” — Mark Chilton, son

New York Times

• “The cause was congestive heart failure, Mr.” — Mark Chilton, son

New York Times

• “She was truly driven by the thought that the world needed to have the best science could offer in order to help humanity feed itself,” — Andrew Binns, emeritus professor of biology, University of Pennsylvania

New York Times