Jules Janick, James Troop Distinguished Professor of Horticulture, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Janick has received worldwide attention for his work on patented apple technologies as part of a breeding program called PRI, which is a collaboration between Purdue, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. PRI was started in 1945 to develop apples that were resistant to a serious disease called apple scab. Because the apples are scab resistant, the need for pesticide use is greatly reduced.
Janick holds six U.S. utility patents in the areas of plant biotechnology and tissue culture and 23 U.S. plant patents involving synthetic seed, and the in-vitro production of cotyledonary products including cocoa butter, jojoba oil, and gamma linolenic acid.
Eighteen apple selections have been named and licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization and twenty other selections are under evaluation. The apples are grown around the world with Purdue licenses.
External Link: Purdue apple innovator elected fellow of National Academy of Inventors