Scott A. Merkle, professor of forest biotechnology at The University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, has been recognized by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), the national professional society for American foresters, with the prestigious Barrington Moore Award. This award, given to Merkle in recognition of his substantial body of work in somatic embryogenesis, recognizes outstanding achievement in biological research leading to the advancement of forestry, according to the SAF.

The Award is named after Barrington Moore, a prominent member of the first generation of American foresters who had a strong interest in the establishment of a sound biological basis for the practice of forestry. “Dr. Merkle’s research has concentrated on adapting the in vitro phenomenon known as somatic embryogenesis for mass clonal propagation and genetic manipulation of southern forest species,” according to Jim Sweeney, Associate Dean at the Warnell School. “Scott’s primary motivation for his research has been the improvement of southern hardwoods and conifers for industrial and ornamental purposes.  However, his work has expanded to include significant advances in environmental remediation.”

Since his laboratory’s first report of somatic embryogenesis in yellow-poplar in 1986, Merkle has accomplished somatic embryogenesis in 10 forest tree species and 2 hybrids, a record unmatched by any other laboratory in the world.  Trees for which Merkle’s lab was the first to report somatic embryogenesis include important commercial species, such as yellow-poplar and sweetgum, popular ornamental trees such as southern magnolia, rare species such as pyramid magnolia, one species under attack by a devastating disease (American chestnut), and two hybrids with potential ornamental and industrial uses (yellow-poplar x Chinese tulip tree and sweetgum x Formosan sweetgum).  

A portion of Dr. Merkle’s research program has also long been dedicated to using biotechnology to help restore the American chestnut. This tree, once the primary species of the Appalachian Forest, was virtually destroyed by a fungal disease (chestnut blight) introduced into the U.S. around the beginning of the Twentieth Century.  Although various approaches to combat the blight have been attempted, none has had a significant impact on restoring the tree.  Dr. Merkle has pioneered the use of somatic embryogenesis and gene transfer to lay the groundwork for engineering the tree with anti-fungal genes.  His lab was the first to report regeneration of the tree via somatic embryogenesis and the first to use these cultures to produce transgenic chestnut material. Recently, his lab has received grants from ArborGen LLC, the Institute for Forest Biotechnology and the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research to continue and expand this research with American chestnut.

Writer: Eugene MacIntyre, emacintyre@warnell.uga.edu, 706/542-2079

Contact: Scott A. Merkle, merkle@warnell.uga.edu, 706/542-6112