Sylvia Blankenship
Sylvia Blankenship | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sylvia Elise Meadows September 10, 1954 |
| Alma mater | Oregon State University Texas A&M University |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | North Carolina State University |
| Thesis | Phenolic acids and ethylene biosynthesis in pears during ripening and storage (1983) |
Sylvia Blankenship (née Meadows) (born September 10, 1954) is an American horticulturalist and inventor. She is an emeritus professor at North Carolina State University. She identified 1-methylcyclopropene, a compound which extends the storage life of fruits. Blakenship was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2020.
Early life and education[edit]
Blankenship grew up in Northern Virginia and spent her summers on a ranch in Texas.[1] She was interested in nature as a child, and enjoyed adventure stories about Davy Crockett. She began her studies at Texas A&M University, where she became interested in plant sciences and first started to explore plant compounds.[1] She moved to Oregon State University for her doctoral research, where she earned a PhD in 1983. Her doctoral research looked at the biosynthesis of ethylene in pears during ripening.[2]
Research and career[edit]
Blankenship was appointed to the faculty of the North Carolina State University and remained there throughout her career, eventually becoming an emeritus professor.[3]
Blankenship studied ethylene binding sites and the identification of ethylene inhibitors.[4] She did not receive much research funding, but, in collaboration with Edward Sisler, managed to develop the compound 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP).[4] 1-MCP docks in the plant receptor sites that typically accommodate ethylene. By binding 1-MCP instead of ethylene, produce and flowers remain fresher for longer. She tested her compound on carnations, apples and tomatoes. 1-MCP was patented in 1996 and licensed to Floralife, who incorporated 1-MCP into a white powder that was easy to use.[4] Eventually it was licensed to SmartFresh, which earned North Carolina State University over $25 million in royalties.[citation needed]
In 2020, Blankenship was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.[5][6]
Awards and honors[edit]
- 2007 American Society for Horticultural Science Outstanding Researcher[7]
- 2010 Fellow of the International Society for Horticultural Science[8]
- 2015 North Carolina State University Innovator of the Year[9]
- 2020 Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame[5]
Selected publications[edit]
- Sylvia M Blankenship; John M Dole (April 2003). "1-Methylcyclopropene: a review". Postharvest Biology and Technology. 28 (1): 1–25. doi:10.1016/S0925-5214(02)00246-6. ISSN 0925-5214. Wikidata Q62125825.
- X Fan; J P Mattheis; S Blankenship (August 1, 1999). "Development of apple superficial scald, soft scald, core flush, and greasiness is reduced by MCP". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 47 (8): 3063–3068. doi:10.1021/JF981176B. ISSN 0021-8561. PMID 10552609. Wikidata Q44872174.
- Robert D. Belding; Sylvia M. Blankenship; Eric Young; Ross B. Leidy (May 1998). "Composition and Variability of Epicuticular Waxes in Apple Cultivars". Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. 123 (3): 348–356. doi:10.21273/JASHS.123.3.348. ISSN 0003-1062. Wikidata Q110687673.
References[edit]
- ^ a b "2022 NIHF Inductee Sylvia Blankenship: The Horticultural Hero | National Inventors Hall of Fame". www.invent.org. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "Phenolic acids and ethylene biosynthesis in pears during ripening and storage | WorldCat.org". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Inventors Hall of Fame Honors 3 With Ties to NC State". NC State News. May 3, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Discovery and Commercialization of 1-MCP as an Ethylene Inhibitor" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Sylvia Blankenship | The National Inventors Hall of Fame". www.invent.org. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ Fresh Ideas in Horticulture: The Sylvia Blankenship and Edward Sisler Story, retrieved January 2, 2023
- ^ "ASHS Career Award – Outstanding Researcher" (PDF).
- ^ "ISHS Awards | International Society for Horticultural Science". www.ishs.org. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "NC State Holds Celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship". Office of Research Commercialization. November 16, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- 1954 births
- Living people
- American horticulturists
- Women horticulturists and gardeners
- 20th-century American inventors
- American women inventors
- Scientists from Virginia
- Texas A&M University alumni
- Oregon State University alumni
- North Carolina State University faculty
- 20th-century American scientists
- 20th-century American women scientists
- 21st-century American scientists
- 21st-century American women scientists