Agricultural Sciences

Lynch lauded as Research Innovator of the Year by College of Ag Sciences

Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor of plant nutrition, was recognized as the 2023 recipient of the Research Innovator of the Year Award, presented by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Shown, from left, are Lora Weiss, senior vice president for research at Penn State, Blair Siegfried, associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Agricultural Sciences, Lynch, and Rick Roush, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.     Credit: Michael Houtz / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor of plant nutrition, is the 2023 recipient of the Research Innovator of the Year Award, presented by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences to recognize faculty and staff who have made notable efforts to commercialize their Penn State research.

He received the award, which includes a stipend, at a celebration of research innovation hosted by the college’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation program May 11 at the Graduate in State College.

The celebration is designed to recognize researchers in the college who recently have submitted an invention disclosure, have been awarded a patent, or have received a grant from the college’s Research Applications for INnovation, or RAIN, program, which provides support for recipients to help commercialize their discoveries.

Lynch, who also serves as director of the Center for Root and Rhizosphere Biology in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, was honored for his participation in research commercialization — including multiple invention disclosures, patents and grant awards — to advance crop productivity and plant adaptation to stress, with an eye toward improving yield and food security.

Lynch, a faculty member in the Department of Plant Science, is on the cusp of his well-earned retirement, noted nominator Matthew Smith, senior technology licensing officer in the University’s Office of Technology Management.

“Before he hangs up his trademarked tweed jacket and locks his office door for the last time, we honor the productivity and impact of this academic researcher seeking to improve the human condition for all humanity, including subsistence farmers in developing countries, through his research to alleviate world hunger while protecting the environment,” Smith said.

Lynch joined Penn State in 1991. He holds a bachelor’s degree in soils and plant nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley, and master’s and doctoral degrees in plant physiology from the University of California, Davis.

His research lab’s seminal work on plant nutrition and the acquisition of phosphorus and nitrogen established a clear connection between root architecture and the acquisition of nutrients.

Lynch also studies drought tolerance in crops and plant response to salinity and toxins. Through the invention of laser ablation tomography, he found new ways to map root anatomy in 3D.

His efforts to pioneer phenotyping platforms for use on plants grown in the field and develop computer simulations to facilitate the testing of conceptual models promise to revolutionize our understanding of how plants respond to stress and nutrient availability in a real-world setting. He and his collaborators have identified novel root traits that are now commonplace in breeding programs for crops such as beans, maize and soybean.

Lynch is a prolific inventor who is named on 10 Penn State invention disclosures and is a two-time co-inventor with collaborators from Wisconsin. Three of his patents have been licensed and commercialized successfully by startup companies.

Additionally, Lynch was among the top 1% of cited plant scientists in 2022, with more than 250 publications. He also has secured more than $24 million in external grant funding at Penn State since 2007. His website, available in three languages, boasts more than 50,000 visitors annually.

Lynch has trained or advised more than 100 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. He is a prolific teacher, leading a flagship undergraduate course in plant nutrition and encouraging undergraduate students to conduct research in his laboratory.

“Jonathan’s work and influence are so powerful that not only has he made the world a better place, but he also leads, inspires and empowers those around him to make a positive difference in their own ways,” said Blair Siegfried, associate dean for research and graduate education. “His positive impact on this world is profound.”

Lynch said he was honored to accept the recognition on behalf of the talented young scientists and distinguished colleagues with whom he has collaborated over many years.

“Agricultural innovation is the key to the grand challenge we confront — how to sustain 10 billion people in a degraded environment,” he said. “The support of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State’s Intellectual Property Office and their commitment to achieving impact have been an important part of our success.”

The award ceremony’s keynote speaker was Lora Weiss, senior vice president for research at Penn State, who oversees the research of 12 academic colleges, seven interdisciplinary research institutes and the Applied Research Lab, while guiding several other research-related offices and programs. She commended Lynch and his colleagues in the college for their innovative work to alleviate global challenges such as food insecurity and lack of safe water.

“By 2050, feeding a planet of almost 10 billion will require an estimated 50% increase in agricultural production and a 15% increase in water withdrawals,” she said. “These are global crises right at our doorstep. Penn State is bringing a tremendous breadth and depth of innovation in food security, One Health, sustainability and environmental stewardship.”

Weiss pointed out that the college’s RAIN grant initiative was Penn State’s first formal commercialization funding program, and other colleges have since followed the example with their own grants.

“Our mission is clear — we are at the threshold of opportunity within various global crises, and Penn State is well positioned to be drivers in this area,” she said. “Our capabilities are strong, our faculty are superb, and we are committed to the long game of research, bringing innovation and impact in many different ways, even years after a project is completed.”

More information about the college’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation program is available.

 

Last Updated May 15, 2023

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