Randall Prather, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Reproductive Biotechnology
Division of Animal Science
The University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and the American Farm Bureau Federation are honored to have awarded the achievements of the 2011 $25,000 Distinguished Agriscience Scientist’s Award Columbus Scholar.
Since 1982, Dr. Prather’s research has focused on the early mammalian embryo. While at University of Wisconsin-Madison he cloned the first pigs, and some of the first cattle, by nuclear transfer.
His group at the University of Missouri created miniature pigs that have the alpha 1,3 galactosyltransferase gene knocked out, thus paving the way for xenotransplantation; and have developed pigs that have cystic fibrosis, thus providing the first whole animal model that can be used to study the disease. His lab has made over 495 cloned pigs at MU representing over 25 different genetic modifications for agriculture and medicine.
Dr. Prather is a co-Director of the NIH-funded National Swine Resource and Research Center. In addition to his transgenic pig research, he and his collaborators have identified newly described genes in the reproductive tissues of pigs and cattle that will help develop an understanding of the pattern of gene expression to reduce the 30 percent loss of pregnancies that occurs in mammals. He has helped to secure over $81 million in research funding, and has over 240 peer-reviewed publications and 103,000 GeneBank submissions.
He earned his BS and MS from Kansas State University, and Ph.D. and Postdoc from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation is honored to have had the assistance of the following distinguished individuals serving on the 2011 Agriscience Awards Evaluation Committee:
- MeeCee Baker, Ph.D.
Partner, Chief Operating Officer
Versant Strategies
Harrisburg, PA - Gary Matteson
The Farm Credit Council
VP Young, Beginning, Small Farmer
Programs and Outreach
Washington, D.C. - Meghan Mueseler
Cargill, Inc.
Wichita, KS - Kevin Paap
President
Minnesota Farm Bureau
Minneapolis, MN - Robert W. Clark, Ph.D.
Professional Personnel Development Center
Workforce Education & Development Program
Penn State University
University Park, PA
