- Creator
- Chilton, Mary-Dell
- Size
- 8.5 linear feet (14 boxes, 1 legal box, 3 half boxes)
- Call number
- MC 00376
The Mary-Dell Chilton Papers include laboratory records, correspondence, notes, manuscripts, reprints, articles, and photographs from 1947 through 1999 documenting Chilton's career as a plant geneticist. The bulk of the records are from the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Mary-Dell Chilton has worked as a plant geneticist and genetic engineer throughout her career at the University of Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, and at Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.
Biographical/historical note
Mary-Dell Chilton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 2, 1939. After receiving a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana, Mary-Dell Chilton continued to study at the University of Illinois, completing her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1967 with a dissertation entitled Transforming Activity in Single Stranded DNA from Bacillus Subtilis. She then went on to complete post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Washington, Seattle, until 1971, when she received a faculty position at the same university. Chilton remained at the University of Washington until 1979 when she accepted a faculty position at Washington University in St. Louis. Chilton's research teams at the universities first demonstrated that the genes responsible for causing disease could be removed from the bacterium without adversely affecting its ability to insert its own DNA into a plant cell. Chilton and her collaborators at Washington University were also the first to produce transgenic plants.
In 1983, Mary-Dell Chilton left Washington University and accepted a position in the private sector at CIBA-Geigy Corporation, which later became Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. (SBI) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Her tenure there spanned both research and administrative roles, including vice president of agricultural biotechnology, distinguished science fellow, and principal scientist. In 2002, Chilton's contributions to the development of plant biotechnology earned her the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences from the Franklin Institute. In 2011 she received the Presidential Award from the Crop Science Society of America.
Chilton's current research (as of September 2011) is directed at improving the technology for introducing new genes into plants. Specifically her work has involved gene stacking (keeping all genes in one place) and targeting (getting genes to insert at a particular place).
Mary-Dell Chilton was married to Dr. Scott Chilton, who was a professor of botany in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University from 1983 to 2004. In 2004, a few weeks before Scott Chilton's untimely death, Mary-Dell Chilton and her husband completed plans to create an endowment supporting the collections of the NC State University Libraries.
Scope/content
The Mary-Dell Chilton Papers include laboratory records, correspondence, notes, manuscripts, reprints, articles, and photographs, 1947-1999, documenting Chilton's career as a plant geneticist. The bulk of the records are from the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Arrangement
The Mary-Dell Chilton Papers are organized into six series:
- Laboratory Records
- Research Files
- Publications and Manuscripts
- Teaching and Advising Files
- Correspondence
and - Subject Files
.
Use of these materials
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Mary-Dell Chilton Papers, MC 00376,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Related material
Source of acquisition
Gift of Mary-Dell Chilton, 2005 June (Accession number 2005-0005)
Processing information
Processed by Nathan Crowe and Stephanie Horowitz, 2006 August; encoded by Stephanie Horowitz, 2006 August.
The collection is organized into six principal series:
Laboratory Records 1962-1981 (MC 00376 Series 1)
Size: 2.5 linear feet
This series contains Mary-Dell Chilton's laboratory notebooks and other records from her laboratory experiments. Many were originally contained in binders labeled by experiment or subject. The records contain a great deal of information regarding DNA experimentation and other genetics experiments.
Brute Force Experiments, Folder 1 of 2 1976 Summer
Brute Force Experiments, Folder 2 of 2 1976 Summer
Brute Force Experiments II 1976 Summer
Clones - Plasmid/Plant 1978
Digests - Randall Saiki 1978-1979
DNA/RNA on HA. I. B. subtilis 1969
DNA/RNA on HA. II. Unique Mouse, Mouse Genome Fractionation 1969
DNA/RNA on HA. II. Unique Mouse, Mouse DNA/RNA on HA 1969
Graduate Laboratory Work 1962-1963
M-13 Cloning/DNA Sequencing 1981
Mouse 1970 March 27-1970 August
Nopaline Plasmids, Cryptopine Plasmids 1978-1979
Octopine - Nopaline, Book 2, Folder 1 of 2 1977
Octopine - Nopaline, Book 2, Folder 2 of 2 1977
Plasmid DNA Isolation, Restriction Endonuclear Experiments 1976
Plasmid Genetics; Transformation 1975 September 17-1976 March 27
Plasmids - Common Bond Experiments - Cloning 1977-1978
Radioactivity Log (Archives) undated
"Randy Papers" - Enzyme Preps., Plasmid Clones, Alkaline Gels, DNA Concentrations, Plasmid Mapping, Misc., Methods 1978-1979
Tomato Satellite 1972 October 16-1974 January 24
Gel Films [oversize] undated
DNA Digests and Eco Plants [oversize] 1978-1979
Research Files 1947-1982 (MC 00376 Series 2)
Size: 2.25 linear feet
This series includes material related to Mary-Dell Chilton's research on plants, plant genetics, genetic engineering, and other subjects in which she was professionally interested. It contains articles and reprints written by other scientists, as well as many of Chilton's own research notes. The series also includes professional activity information related to Chilton's research, such as grant applications, research proposals and reports, patent applications, consulting agreements, and information on professional conferences attended by Chilton. Correspondence regarding these matters are also found within this series rather than in the Correspondence series.
5B and 0B Maize 1968-1973
ACS [American Cancer Society] Proposal 1974
ACS [American Cancer Society] Grant Application, Molecular Basis of Crown Gall Tumor Genesis 1980 March 25
Agrobacterium References 1980
American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting Program 1979 January
American Cancer Society grant application, Comparison of Mitochondrial DNA from Normal and Malignant Nicotiana tobaccum 1973 November 1
B. subtilis Transformation 1969-1970
Blattner, Structure of the Constant...Heavy Chain Messenger RNA 1979 December 14
Charts and diagrams undated
Cloned Tumor DNA Binder, Notes and Articles 1969-1975
Cloning Technology 1976, 1978
Correspondence and documentation, patent application on Regeneration of Plants Containing Genetically Engineered T-DNA (1 of 3) 1982 June-1983 June
Correspondence and documentation, patent application on Regeneration of Plants Containing Genetically Engineered T-DNA (2 of 3) 1984 July-1984 December
Correspondence and documentation, patent application on Regeneration of Plants Containing Genetically Engineered T-DNA (3 of 3) 1985 August-1987 July
Correspondence, Monsanto consulting agreements 1979 November-1981 November
Development of a Tumor-Inducing Plasmid Vector for Plant Genetic Engineering, "Unfinished Symphony," Folder 1 of 2 1980-1982
Development of a Tumor-Inducing Plasmid Vector for Plant Genetic Engineering, "Unfinished Symphony," Folder 2 of 2 1980-1982
DNA Articles 1979, undated
DNA Transformation Articles 1958-1964
DNA Transformation Articles 1965-1966
DNA Transformation Articles 1967-1968
DNA Transformation Articles 1969-1971
DNA Transformation Articles 1972-1975
DNA Transformation Meetings 1967-1968
DNA Transformation Notes 1961-1973
Drug Resistance Gene Sequence 1979-1982
EMBO [European Molecular Biology Organization] Meeting, Molecular Biologists Look at Green Plants 1980
Farley-Chilton Enterprises, Inc. Grant and Budget Information 1980-1981
Genetic Engineering 1980-1981
Genetic Engineering Articles 1978 July
George Jen Proposal, In Vivo Suppression of Plant Nonsense Mutants Award Application 1981 May 29
Gordon Conference on Plant Molecular Biology 1980
Grant Application, Molecular Basis of Crown Gall Tumorigenesis 1975 March 26
Images and German Articles undated
Insulin Genes - Howard Goodman 1979
Ken Barton - Data undated
Ken Barton - Data, Plasmids and Bugs Freezer Collection undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones 1980 September 1, undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, BAM 3A and 6, ECO 18 and 26 undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, BAM 14A and BAM 9 1982 March 3, undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, Biohazards, Draft of T37 Map Paper undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, BSTE II Digests of Deletion Mutants, Folder 1 of 2 undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, BSTE II Digests of Deletion Mutants, Folder 2 of 2 undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, Cosmid Clones undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, SMA Digests of Deletion Mutants undated
Mapping Cuts in Clones, T37 Map, Raw Data, Rough Draft Maps undated
Michael Kahn, Construction of a Cosmic Gene Bank... Proposal 1979 October 25
Monsanto research proposals and correspondence 1981-1982
Northerns Graphs and Papers 1977, undated
PhD Thesis Research Binder 1965-1966
PhD Research, Dubnau, Gene Conservation 1965 September
PhD Research Expression, Article 1958 October 3
PhD Research, Fate of Donor DNA 1960-1965
PhD Research, Integration - Genetics Studies 1963-1964
PhD Research Uptake undated
Plant Satellite DNA 1968-1977
Plastid DNA Papers 1975-1977
Progress reports to Monsanto 1981-1982
Recombinant DNA, Public 1976-1978
Recombinant DNA Research Proposal c. 1978
Renatured Mouse Satellite DNA Paper 1973
Renatured Mouse Satellite DNA Paper 1973
Research notes undated, 1980
Restriction Endonucleases Purification, Methods 1976-1979
Restriction Enzyme Isolation 1978
Restriction Enzyme Isolation, Chilton et al., Edinburgh preprint Notes undated
Restriction Enzyme Isolation, Yadav Grant Applications Notes undated
Schell Preprints Reprints 1976-1978
Simon Silver Mechanisms of Plasmid-Determined Resistance Mercury... c. 1979
Translocatable Elements 1977
Umbrella Agreements between Washington University and Monsanto Company 1981 December-1982 September
United States/Australia Science Foundation Grant Application 1981
University of Minnesota Symposium, Emergent Techniques for the Genetic Improvement of Crops, Notes 1979 March
Publications and Manuscripts 1965-1982 (MC 00376 Series 3)
Size: 0.5 linear feet
This series includes Mary-Dell Chilton's publications in various forms, including manuscripts, preprints, and reprints. It also includes supporting records when the creator had originally included such records with the file. Thus, some research notes are contained in this series rather than in the Research series. The series includes publications written solely by Chilton as well as some publications written jointly with other scientists.
Agrobacterium Tumefaciens undated
Agrobacterium Ti Plasmids As a Tool for Genetic Engineering in Plants 1980
Bevan and Chilton Manuscript Research and Notes 1981, undated
Bevan and Chilton Northern Manuscript, Multiple Transcripts of T-DNA... undated
Bridgehead Dehydrohalogenation in the Photodimer of 9-chloroanthracene 1965
Detection and Quantitation of Octopine in Normal Plant Tissue and in Crown Gall Tumors 1974 February
DNA from Maize with and without B. Chromosomes: A Comparative Study 1973 August
Fingerprints of Agrobacterium Ti Plasmids 1978
Foreign DNA...is Transcribed in Crown Gall Tumors 1977 October 6
Genetic and Base Sequence Homologies in Bacilli 1969 January 14
Highly Conserved DNA...Overlaps T-DNA Maintained in Plant Tumors 1978 September 14
Hybridization of Ribonucleic Acid with Unique Sequences of Mouse Deoxyribonucleic Acid 1972
Investigation of Some Reactions of the Photodimer of 9-Chloroanthracene: Thesis for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois by Mary-Dell Matchett 1960 (Accession 2020.0091)
Manuscript, Regeneration of Intact Tobacco Plants Containing Full Length Copies of Genetically Engineered T-DNA, and Transmission of T-DNA to R1 Progeny undated
Newspaper clippings, photocopies of publications 1979-1982
Nuclear CplMt Manuscript T-DNA from Agrobacterium Ti Plasmid... 1980
On the Question of the Integration of...Bacterial DNA into Plant DNA 1975 July
On the Question of Integration of...Deoxyribonucleic Acid by Tomato Plants 1975 December
Restriction Endonuclease Analysis of Virulence Plasmids From Agrobacterium Tumefaciens 1978
Restriction Endonuclease Mapping of a Plasmid... 1978
Ribosomal DNA in a Nuclear Satellite of Tomato 1975
Search for Bacterial DNA in Crown Gall Tumors 1977
Short Direct Repeats Flank the T-DNA on a Nopaline T. Plasmid 1982 October
Site-Specific Insertion of Genes Into T-DNA... 1981
Stable Incorporation of Plasmid DNA into Higher Plant Cells 1977 June
Studies of the T-DNA of Agrobacterium Ti Plasmids 1978
T-DNA of a Crown Gall Teratoma is Covalently Joined to Host Plant DNA 1980 October 2
Tailoring the Agrobacterium Ti Plasmid as a Vector for Plant Genetic Engineering 1981
Theoretical Explanation of Mouse Satellite DNA Renaturation Kinetics 1973 November 7
Transforming Activity in Both Complementary Strands of Bacillus subtilis DNA 1967 August 18
Transforming Activity in Single-stranded DNA from Bacillus subtilis 1968
Yadav, et al., Covalent Joining 1980
Yadav, et al., Short Direct Repeats Flank the T-DNA and Supporting Research, Folder 1 of 4 1980-1982
Yadav, et al., Short Direct Repeats Flank the T-DNA and Supporting Research, Folder 2 of 4 1980-1982
Yadav, et al., Short Direct Repeats Flank the T-DNA and Supporting Research, Folder 3 of 4 1980-1982
Yadav, et al., Short Direct Repeats Flank the T-DNA and Supporting Research, Folder 4 of 4 1980-1982
Yadav, et al., Short Direct Repeats Flank the T-DNA and Supporting Research, J. Vanderleyden undated
Teaching and Advising Files 1959-1999 (MC 00376 Series 4)
Size: 1.25 linear feet
This series includes readings and lecture notes from courses that Mary-Dell Chilton taught in conjunction with her career in academia. It also contains several theses written by Chilton's advisees.
Bio 572, Seminar in Plant Biology, Readings #1, 9 articles 1981 Fall
Bio 572, Seminar in Plant Biology, Readings #2 1981 Fall
Bio 572, Seminar in Plant Biology, Readings #3-4, 8 articles 1981 Fall
Bio 572, Seminar in Plant Biology, Readings #5, 4 articles 1981 Fall
Bio 572, Seminar in Plant Biology, Readings #6, 5 articles 1981 Fall
Bio 572, Seminar in Plant Biology, Readings #7, 6 articles 1981 Fall
Biology Honors Thesis - "Construction of a pAMI-agrocin Hybrid Plasmid Using Recombinant DNA Methods," Douglas M. Brugge 1982 March 15
EMBO [European Molecular Biology Organization] Course Material "The Use of Ti-Plasmid as Cloning Vector for Genetic Engineering in Plants" undated
Equipment Grant for Bio 437 1981
Micro 503 Lab Manual undated
Micro 510 Articles, DNA Transformation 1963-1971
Micro 510 Competence Lecture, Papers and Notes, Folder 1 of 3 1959-1973
Micro 510 Competence Lecture, Papers and Notes, Folder 2 of 3 1959-1973
Micro 510 Competence Lecture, Papers and Notes, Folder 3 of 3 1959-1973
Micro 510 References, Notes, Articles 1972-1975
T-Even Phage Lecture, Folder 1 of 2 1970-1971, undated
T-Even Phage Lecture, Folder 2 of 2 1970-1971, undated
Thesis - Excision and Transposition of Tn5 and Other Transposons, Carol Ann Egner 1981 December
Thesis - Light Modulation of PEA Fed-1 Translation Depends on its 5' End, Eric Ralph Hansen 1999
Thesis - Virulence Plasmid Found in Avirulent Mutants, Margaret Palmquest 1976 June 10
Correspondence 1963-1983 (MC 00376 Series 5)
Size: 0.75 linear feet
This series includes Mary-Dell Chilton's correspondence, which is mainly professional in nature, though some contain a personal element. It also contains a small number of related records that were contained within a correspondence file by the creator.
[Armin] Braun Letters 1978
Chapter for Molecular Biology of Plant Tumors 1981
Chronological Labeled "Micro" 1967-1970
Chronological, Outgoing Labeled "1973 Vintage" 1972-1974
Crown Gall, Cucumber Satellite 1971-1972
DNA Transformation, Charles Laird 1966 June 27
Genetics Department 1963-1967
[Jeff] Schell Letters 1976-1978
Letter from Herschel L. Roman regarding manuscript for Annual Review of Genetics 1982 May 27
Letters, Folder 1 of 3 1980-1983
Letters, Folder 2 of 3 1980-1983
Letters, Folder 3 of 3 1980-1983
Letters, Monsanto funding of post-doctoral fellows 1980 January-1982 April
Monsanto symposium letter 1980 November 13
Photocopies of employment letters from CIBA-GEIGY Corporation 1983 January 25
[R. A.] Schilperoort Letters 1978
Subject Files 1977-1981 (MC 00376 Series 6)
Size: 0.5 linear feet
This series contains files maintained by Mary-Dell Chilton regarding her employment search as well as records containing information only indirectly related to her career.
Academic Appointment [Washington University] 1979
Computer Information 1980, undated
Curriculum Vitae 1978 July
Departmental Seminar Program 1980-1981
Diagram - Plasmids undated
French Lessons and Notes 1979, undated
Job Applications, Folder 1 of 2 1978
Job Applications, Folder 2 of 2 1978
Kotty Postle Correspondence, Grant and Fellowship Application 1977-1978
Revisions of NIH [National Institute of Health] Guidelines on Experiments 1977 November 2
Using the Computer 1981, undated
Access to the collection
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.
Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials,
access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Mary-Dell Chilton Papers, MC 00376,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Use of these materials
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.